Confused, I reached out for help. Ah, the endless polenta vs. cornmeal debate. Slightly less nutty flavour and a paler colour, of course, but a good texture. One thing to watch out for when you’re seeking out this ingredient: Non-wheat grains ground in a similar fashion are often referred to as “semolina,” but with that grain’s name appended, such as “corn semolina” or “rice semolina.” They’re distinct from the most common semolina you’ll see in recipes, which is semolina flour. But remember, cornmeal is literally ground up corn. Christine graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France, and she has worked at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW.com. Last but not least, polenta is similar to grits with one notable exception: the dried corn isn’t treated before it’s ground. Forget the names. Polenta vs. Grits. Unlike American dent corn, polenta comes from Italian flint corn. Polenta If you want an easy cornmeal substitute, you should certainly go with polenta. Cornmeal vs Semolina - In-Depth Nutrition Comparison Compare. Semolina is a coarse flour made from durum wheat, a hard type of wheat. Cornmeal has long been used for baked goods and giving fried foods crunch and texture. Epicurious may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Since it’s so multi-talented, polenta isn’t known for any particular taste. Eggy, Crispy Polenta with Tomatoes & Mushrooms. However, there was plenty of coarse-ground cornmeal, and from all I knew they were essentially the same thing. "The term 'polenta' refers to the traditional Italian preparation of a variety of coarsely ground grains or starches cooked into a porridge," says House. Source of fiber and protein. True polenta is made from a specific variety of corn. She lives in San Francisco and loves teaching cooking classes. The more modern way of grinding corn is through steel rollers, which remove most of the husk and germ. Corn grits are just coarsely ground dried corn. If a recipe does not specify the grind of cornmeal to use, your best bet is usually to get a medium-grind cornmeal. © 2021 Condé Nast. Toward the end of the cooking process, it's common to stir butter or olive oil in to the polenta for luxe creaminess. ‘Polenta’ may also refer to the grain or the dish that results from using polenta. In other countries semolina is done by durum wheat. And, of course, he also recommends his own company's polenta, which also uses this heirloom corn. Polenta is also made from corn, but is it really just cornmeal labeled differently and sold at a higher price? There are occasions where you can substitute one for the other, but not all the time. Oven Polenta With Roasted Mushrooms and Thyme. It's an heirloom variety that produces a porridge that is deep in both color and flavor. A few nights ago I found myself standing in the bulk section of my grocery store, staring blankly at a bin of cornmeal. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Cornmeal is often used as a drying agent. When ground into a flour, durum wheat is known as semolina and used all over the world in bread, pasta, and porridge. Then, your polenta can be topped with any number of things. Semolina is a good option for people who need to monitor their glucose levels, like diabetics or dieters. Carefully pour polenta into pan. (Historically, that's "corn" in the UK sense of any grain, rather than solely maize, though today it's exclusively maize.) Semolina is high in protein and fibre and low GI, so it’s good for you! The polenta I had was flecked with little red bits as it’s made from a variety of red corn. Need to know more about how to cook polenta, step by step? "Most people, including chefs we know and love, say any version of medium or coarsely ground corn works for polenta," says Roberts. If the package isn’t labeled with the coarseness of the grind, it’s probably medium. Polenta is a north Italian dish made of coarsely ground corn. Fiber … But when possible, try to seek out the cornmeal that's labeled "polenta," as this is most likely to be the real stuff, the otto file—the stuff that will yield a bowl of porridge with a rich yellow-orange hue and a specific, addictive sweetness. 5. Be sure to season with salt. Corn can be made into a myriad of products and eaten in a variety of ways. They both have their benefits: Semolina is high in protein and fibre and low GI, so it’s good for you! Corn Grits. Cool to room temperature to allow polenta to solidify. It's also common to add cheese, like Parmesan. In Italy, polenta the dish can be any milled grain or starch—buckwheat, chestnut, or yes, corn—cooked into a porridge, says Roberts. Packag… Traditionally polenta is cooked in water. Mineral Comparison. This is also made from the hard wheat, but it uses the durum wheat. 'Semolina' is a word with two different but related meanings. This makes the cornmeal more nutritious but also more perishable because of the higher fat content. Glenn Roberts, of Anson Mills in South Carolina, and Sarah House, of Bob's Red Mill in Oregon, were able to set the facts straight: Polenta is not an ingredient—it's a a dish. The best approach is to spring for a bag of semolina flour. Cream of Wheat is a brand of farina, or porridge, made from semolina flour that has been ground like grits, but from kernels of wheat instead of corn. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or just until semolina begins to set. You can find polenta in well-stocked supermarkets, Italian specialty shops, natural food stores, and I’ve even found it in markets that sell Indian foods here in Paris … Finely ground cornmeal is sometimes labeled as corn flour, but British recipes that call for “cornflour” actually refer to cornstarch, which is not milled from the whole corn kernel. In these cases, corn flour will do just as well, … If desired, whisk in up to 1/3 cup cream for desired consistency. Semolina can be used as a substitute, but adjust the cooking times. Why on earth do you want corn on your pizza? Call it cheating—we call this no-stir polenta 30 minutes you don’t need to spend standing at the stove. And it worked. I cooked it low and slow, and the results were indeed porridge-like. … Ah, the endless polenta vs. cornmeal debate. Masa harina is cornmeal made from corn kernels that have been cooked in limewater first. Or, just eat it on its own, as a creamy porridge. And if you’re feeling indulgent, top with a little heavy cream mixed with a finely grated small garlic clove. Cook milk in a heavy nonaluminum saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, 6 minutes or just until bubbles appear (do not boil). It depends by the country, In italy semolino ( semolina ) is done by corn… but it’s even a kind of more coarse grinding of flour. All rights reserved. At this point, it has a thick, creamy consistency and is ready to be eaten. "Ultimately, yes, a cook can prepare a porridge from medium or coarsely ground corn. Polenta is usually made from yellow corn. Read the Question about Polenta and Semolina discussion from the Chowhound Home Cooking, Polenta food community. While cornmeal is the traditional ingredient in cornbread, it is also used for texture and sweetness in cookies and other breads. In the supermarket, cornmeal can be labeled anything from yellow grits to corn semolina. That means the starches in polenta are harder and tend to have a slightly grittier texture (don’t worry; they still cook up creamy and porridge-like). Stone-ground cornmeal is labeled as such or can also be called “water ground,” and you can usually assume unlabeled cornmeal is made through the steel roller process. Examples of differing ground corn products are cornmeal, grits, and polenta. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. And can you use those bags labeled "cornmeal" and "polenta" interchangeably? I have in fact used semolina in place of polenta and it works very well. Some people think the difference lies in geography: the Italian version is known as polenta whereas the Southern version is known as grits. Besides the difference in grinds, cornmeal can be made from blue, white, or yellow corn. Think of polenta nowadays as a form of Italian “grits.” Polenta is slow-cooked in liquid until the grains swell and the starches are released. Cook them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s just corn! Read on to find out! Polenta contains both protein and fiber to help a person feel full. Apartment Therapy is full of ideas for creating a warm, beautiful, healthy home. Use the coarsest grind you can find. To revisit this article, select My⁠ ⁠Account, then View saved stories. ).The semolina will give the crust extra crunchiness and stop it from sticking. After is has cooled or been chilled, the consistency changes and it solidifies into a solid piece. How to prepare polenta. It refers to a porridge or mush now made from coarsely ground cornmeal since corn was cultivated in Europe in the 16th century, but was also in the past made with farro, chestnuts, millet, spelt or chickpeas. Corn Grits-Polenta is rich and delicious. Polenta, along with pasta and risotto, is one of the three basic starchy dishes that characterize Italian cuisine. That's kind of gross to be honest. I like [fine-grind] best for baking or breading. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. It has been a staple food around the world for centuries and it seems that every culture has developed their own favorite way to prepare it. ... As polenta is made from corn, it's gluten-free. But something was missing in consistency and flavor. Roberts likes Mulino Marino, a mill in Northern Italy whose polenta is made from the eight-row flint variety. The traditional way of making cornmeal was through stone-grinding, which retains some of the hull and germ of the kernels. Is it ok to use cornmeal on my pizza peel for the launch? But for those who are sticklers for authenticity, choosing a product specially designed for polenta will produce an ideal dish," says Sarah. The color of wheat is whiter than the pale yellow of grits, and both the dry and cooked versions are smoother in texture. Check it out here. But it seemed as though everybody else had the same plan—the polenta was sold out. Uncooked polenta makes a delicious addition or gluten-free alternative to flour in cakes, biscuits and pastries. To use polenta instead of cornmeal, you will need to replace one part cornmeal with one part polenta. Cornmeal is made by grinding dried corn kernels into one of three textures: fine, medium, and coarse. Yes and no. The traditional way of making cornmeal was through stone-grinding, which retains some of the hull and germ of the kernels. We get asked about cornmeal every week in pizza class. We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Join the discussion today. Instant or quick-cooking polenta has been pre-processed to reduce the cooking time, but many purists don’t like the flavor and consistency as much. Others think that polenta is made with yellow corn while grits are always made with white corn. Fine-grind can be a bit too pasty if prepared this way. In a pinch, sure, use that medium or coarse-ground cornmeal for polenta. Chestnut flour, chickpea flour, or coarse ground rice are just a few of the many grains that were traditionally used, and are still used, in Italy. In pizza crust. But it can also be made with stock or milk for added creaminess and flavor. Sort of. The middlings of corn (aka corn semolina) are used to make grits in the United States and polenta … It is also often used to dust baking surfaces for things like pizza to prevent the dough from sticking, and can also be used as a thickener for soups and chilis. Stir in semolina. Visit the Bob's Red Mill site and get free shipping on orders over $59! Using a spatula, spread polenta to a thickness of 3/4 inch. Authentic polenta is most typically made from a variety of corn called eight-row flint, or otto file in Italian. Originally polenta meant a cooked mush, similar to 'porridge'. Its roots go back to Roman times, when a stodgy porridge called pulmentum, made from various grains and legumes, was the daily food of the poor and soldiers. And almost any amount of semolina will allow pizza to release easily without leaving too gritty a residue. Look for polenta from respected mills domestically and in Italy. Follow her latest culinary escapades on Instagram. Don’t use finely ground cornmeal or corn flour which have too fine of a consistency and will give the finished dish a pasty texture. Within a milling context, semolina is a coarse intermediate product of the milling process also known as middlings, regardless of the grain being milled. However, the polentalike dough made with masa harina rather than polenta-grind corn flour won't taste and feel quite like traditional polenta, and it may not taste right in classic polenta dishes. This makes the cornmeal more nutritious but also more perishable because of the higher fat content. I like it soft, creamy, buttery, with extra cheese. Corn Flour. Polenta may feel like a less-familiar newcomer, not surprisingly causing some confusion. The short answer is yes, it will help accomplish the goal of getting the pizza into the oven and onto your steel. Although there are similarities among the three, there are also distinctions that make each unique. I had come in search of polenta, which I had planned to make for dinner. As for the porridge, the texture is less smooth as compared to semolina. Semolina. Freshly cooked, polenta is soft and creamy, like porridge, and makes a great bed for sauces. However, cornmeal polenta is by far the most common preparation and today, particularly in the United States, when you hear the term "polenta," it refers to the cornmeal version. Since 1995, Epicurious has been the ultimate food resource for the home cook, with daily kitchen tips, fun cooking videos, and, oh yeah, over 33,000 recipes. So, is polenta cornmeal? Prepared polenta is fully cooked and sold in tube-shaped packaging — this form is best sliced and fried, sauteed, grilled, or baked, as it has already passed the creamy, runny form when freshly cooked. What’s the difference between these two cornmeal products? "Polenta should be made from corn that at one point culturally grew in Italy, even if the variety is now grown in the United States," says Roberts. Polenta is really a dish, not an ingredient, from northern Italy. Corn Flour/Polenta Flour (similar flavor, different texture) If your recipe calls for "fine" cornmeal, … ная мамалыга. Pork Ragù Over Creamy Polenta Get This Recipe Uncooked polenta can be used in place of flour in specific baking recipes. This coarsely ground wheat doesn’t char as easily as all-purpose flour, so you can make two pies in succession without brushing off the stone. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Your California Privacy Rights. When shopping for the right product to make polenta, there are three things to consider: “instant” or “quick-cooking” versus the traditional style, degerminated or full-grain meal, and grind size. Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. So how do the two differ? Cakes made with polenta tend to be moist and dense with a pleasantly grainy texture. Ad Choices, What's the Difference between Polenta vs. Cornmeal. When you make pizza crust, try combining semolina and all-purpose flour (any ratio will do, but you can even try a 2:1 ratio, it’s not too much! In this form, it’s cut into pieces and usually crisped up on the outside. Both polenta and grits are made from stone-ground cornmeal, dried corn that’s ground down into smaller, coarse bits. Usually, it is made into porridge for the first breakfast and polenta for the next morning breakfast. However, the semolina is made out of the inner part of the durum wheat. Got a tip, kitchen tour, or other story our readers should see? You can make a dough that is similar to polenta using masa harina rather than polenta-grind corn flour. A few nights ago I found myself standing in the bulk section of my grocery store, staring blankly at a bin of cornmeal. Packages labeled polenta mean that the grind of the corn is appropriate to make the polenta dish, but you can substitute regular medium or coarsely-ground cornmeal instead. In bread making, a small proportion of durum semolina added to the usual mix of flour is said to produce a tasty crust. Semolina, on the other hand, is coarsely ground high-gluten durum wheat used to make pasta, cakes, and breads. Buy white and yellow corn … Ragout is typical, but it's also delicious served with mushrooms, roasted vegetables, or with a protein like fish. Polenta. Can the two be used interchangeably? Modern-day polenta is made from corn. It's also milled differently from cornmeal, which yields a different, fuller mouthfeel. C'mon, do you really know the difference? Since regular polenta which requires a fair amount of time to cook properly, about 40 minutes of constant stirring, there are other forms of polenta sold. Polenta was made with other grains before corn came to Italy. I believe barley meal was the most common. "For example, Northern Italy is known for polenta taragna, a porridge of cornmeal and buckwheat meal." Semolina is wheat, polenta is corn. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. In terms of consistency, grits and polenta (the dish) are pretty similar but while polenta can be made from any grain, grits can only be made from corn, or more specifically hominy Most often white corn is used for grits, but you can find yellow girts too. Copy infographic link Copy. Polenta is a grain; it's made from ground up corn. The more modern way of grinding corn is through steel rollers, which remove most of the husk and germ. Infographic. So I went home and made, um, polenta. How do corn grits differ from polenta? For firm polenta, lightly butter a baking sheet or shallow dish, approximately 8 1/2 by 11 inches. Cornmeal is made by grinding dried corn kernels into one of three textures: fine, medium, and coarse. 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Or dinner fine-grind ] best for baking or breading also distinctions that make each unique pasty... Finely grated small garlic clove and `` polenta '' interchangeably I like [ ]... Revisit this article, visit my Profile, then View saved stories plan—the polenta was out... The cornmeal more nutritious but also more perishable because of the higher fat content or breading onto steel. A pasty texture Italian version is known for polenta taragna, a type! A residue a tip, kitchen corn semolina vs polenta, or dinner, visit my Profile, then View saved stories 'porridge! And slow, and coarse roberts likes Mulino Marino, a cook prepare..., like Parmesan form of Italian “grits.” polenta is also made from variety... Not all the time inner part of the husk and germ of the higher fat content north Italian dish of. From all I knew they were essentially the same plan—the polenta was sold out stop from. Dense with a finely grated small garlic clove, of course, also!