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 Polenta served with boiledcotechino Modena (top) and lentils (bottom) | |
| Type | Porridge |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Region or state | Northern andcentral Italy[1] |
| Main ingredients | Yellow or whitecornmeal, liquid (water,soup stock) |
Polenta (/pəˈlɛntə,poʊˈ-/,Italian:[poˈlɛnta])[2][3] is anItalian dish of boiledcornmeal that was historically made from other grains. It may be allowed to cool and solidify into a loaf that can be baked, fried orgrilled.[4] While it is commonly used in savory dishes, it can also be found in sweet preparations such as cakes, cookies, and puddings.[5][6]
The variety ofcereal used is usually yellowmaize, but oftenbuckwheat, white maize or mixtures thereof may be used. Coarse grinds make a firm, coarse polenta; finer grinds make a soft, creamy polenta.[7] Polenta is a staple of both northern and, to a lesser extent, central Italian, Swiss Italian, southern French, Croatian, Slovenian, Romanian and, due to Italian migrants, Brazilian, Uruguayan and Argentinian cuisines. It is often mistaken for the Slovene-Croatian food namedžganci.[1] Its consumption was traditionally associated with lower classes, as in times pastcornmeal mush was an essential food in their everyday nutrition.[8]
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Polenta covered anyhulled and crushed grain, especiallybarley-meal. It is derived from theLatinpollen for 'fine flour', which shares a root withpulvis, meaning 'dust'.[9]
As it is known today, polenta derives from earlier forms of grain mush (known aspuls orpulmentum in Latin) that were commonly eaten sinceRoman times. Before the introduction ofcorn (maize) from America in the 16th century,[10] it was made from starchy ingredients such asfarro,chestnut flour,millet,spelt, andchickpeas.[11]
Polenta was brought to the south of Brazil by Italian immigrants in the late 19th century and has become an important part of Italian-Brazilian culture and identity in the states ofRio Grande do Sul,Santa Catarina, andParaná.[12] The fried version, though, has become popular even in other regions that did not receive Italian migration and is a popular snack and finger food in bars across the country.[13]
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Polenta takes a long time to cook, simmering in four to five times its volume of watery liquid for about 45 minutes with near-constant stirring; this is necessary for evengelatinization of the starch. Some alternative cooking techniques have been invented to speed up the process or not require constant supervision. Quick-cooking (pre-cooked instant) polenta is widely used and is prepared in just a few minutes; it is considered inferior to polenta made from unprocessed cornmeal and is best eaten after being baked or fried.[14] InHeat (2006)[15]Bill Buford details the differences in taste between instant polenta and slow-cooked polenta and describes a method of preparation that takes up to three hours but does not require constant stirring:
In January 1998Cook's Illustrated magazine described a preparation method using amicrowave oven, that reduces cooking time to 12 minutes and requires only a single stir.[16] The March 2010 issue presented a nearly-unstirred stovetop method, which replicates the traditional method using a pinch ofbaking soda (analkali).[17]
Media related toPolentas at Wikimedia Commons
Polenta at the Wikibooks Cookbook subproject
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