What Is Polenta?

You might have seen it on the menu at a fancy restaurant or heard about it on a cooking show, and wondered to yourself, what is polenta? Well, polenta is a traditional European dish that can be used as an entree, side dish or even a condiment. How's that for versatile?

Essentially, polenta is made up of cornmeal that has been ground finely, then boiled. The dish originally came about during the 1700s when food was scarce in the Northern region of Italy. Many of the food readily available like beans or grains were cooked, then mashed. Eventually when corn was introduced to the region, cornmeal was used in place of legumes or other grains and polenta was born. Today, polenta is still prepared the traditional way, but jazzed up with additional ingredients such as butter, spices and salt. Polenta has been embraced as a high-end food, winding up on the shelves of gourmet stores and served in elegant restaurants. Because it is made from grains, and in its purest form, contains no added dairy or meat products, polenta is a good choice for vegetarians and vegans.

Because it is so versatile, polenta can be prepared in a variety of ways but it still takes a long time to make. Polenta must be cooked slowly in a large pot, sometimes for up to an hour, and it must be stirred constantly to avoid burning. However, there have been machines and cooking techniques that have been developed to cut the time in half.  Also, prepared polenta can be purchased, however it isn't as tasty as homemade, but then again, nothing ever is. Once cooked, polenta can be served on its own or can be shaped into patty form, balls or long sticks and fried in vegetable oil until crispy. Polenta can also be used as a substitute for pasta, and grows great with Italian pasta sauces. Polenta can also be served as an accompaniment to a meal, in place of rolls or cornbread. Consider this traditional Italian treat when preparing your next dinner and see where it takes you.