Couscous is made by rolling ground semolina in moistened flour so that it is coated, then it is dried. It looks like tiny balls about 1mm across. It originated in Morocco and is a staple food throughout North Africa.
Traditionally, couscous was steamed over boiling water or a stew, which was served with it. These days, most commercially available couscous is pre-cooked before drying and so is quicker to cook. This sort of couscous only needs to be soaked in hot liquid for about five minutes before fluffing with a fork.
Israeli couscous, also called pearl couscous, is not actually couscous. It is a small round pasta and is cooked in the same way as small pasta shapes.