polenta

Polenta is a dish of (typically) cornmeal porridge, not an ingredient. It is a traditional Italian preparation of a variety of coarsely ground grains or starches cooked into a porridge.

Authentic polenta is most typically made from a variety of corn called eight-row flint, or otto file in Italian. It's an heirloom variety that produces a porridge that is deep in both colour and flavour. It's also milled differently from cornmeal. It is often labelled as polenta. However, the dish polenta can be made from any starchy or coarse grains cooked into a porridge. Northern Italy is known for polenta taragna, a porridge of cornmeal and buckwheat meal. 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. However, cornmeal polenta is by far the most common preparation.

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