Here's Everything You Need to Know About Polenta (2024)

Polenta is such a magical food. It can be creamy and light, dense and cheesy, or even firm enough to fry or grill. Yes, you've heard of it, but what is polenta, exactly? Ahead, you'll learn some of the most popular ways to eat polenta and find out exactly what this cornmeal concoction is.

Polenta is a dish that originated in Northern Italy and is made of coarsely ground yellow cornmeal. It's super versatile and can be prepared in so many different ways. It only takes a few pantry staples to cook it too: All you need is water or broth, butter, salt, and pepper. Most packages have a simple recipe on the back you can follow to whip up the perfect polenta side dish. Once you have your polenta, give Ree Drummond's Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta a try! "Making polenta is the easiest thing in the world, and can be a nice complement to many meat dishes," she says.

Polenta is sold in a few different forms, so keep your eye out for which one you want at the grocery store. Regular polenta can take up to 40 minutes to cook and requires constant stirring, while "instant" or "quick-cooking" polenta can be made in minutes. Purchasing instant polenta can really cut down the cooking time, but some say that these versions aren't as flavorful as standard polenta. Polenta can also be bought fully cooked in log-shaped packaging (similar to a tube of cookie dough). This type of ready-made polenta can be sliced off and sautéed, fried, or grilled.

What makes polenta different from cornmeal?

Polenta and cornmeal are almost exactly the same product, except for one thing: the consistency of the grain. Polenta is much more coarsely ground, which makes the end product less mushy, and it has a little more bite to it than cornmeal. Cornmeal is very finely ground, so it can end up mushy or soupy if you prepare it like polenta.

What does polenta taste like?

Polenta tastes a lot like corn, since that's what it is! It has a similar flavor to grits and is even comparable to the flavor of cornbread (but not the texture).

What's the difference between grits and polenta?

The one main difference here is that grits are generally made from ground white corn, and have a bit of a finer texture. Grits are also generally prepared with a thinner texture than polenta, ranging from creamy to very firm, depending on how you cook it.