We Requested 5 Culinary Consultants About Polenta, Grits, and Cornmeal—They All Agree You’re Most likely Overspending

Understanding the variations between polenta, grits, and cornmeal—and the way greatest to make use of them—is advanced and fascinating, and we’ll get to that! However there’s additionally a brief reply, so let’s begin there and work backward.

Cornmeal, grits, and polenta are all phrases that describe floor, dried discipline corn (which is completely different from candy summer time corn that we eat on the cob). Relying on the kind of discipline corn (often dent or flint), how finely or coarsely it’s floor, and the way it’s cooked and served, it could actually turn into various things: Tremendous and medium cornmeal are sometimes used for cornbread, muffins, and hush puppies; extra coarsely floor cornmeal can be utilized to make dishes like grits and polenta. On a fundamental stage, that is it.

Italian
Easy and Creamy Polenta
A definitive information—and a few delusion debunking—to creating the very best polenta at dwelling.

prepare dinner time:


6 hrs 10 minutes

serves:


4
to six

However past these bodily variations, a lot of what separates cornmeal, grits, and polenta comes right down to how and the place they’re used. In lots of circumstances, the merchandise themselves are almost equivalent—what differs most is the cultural custom they belong to and the best way they’re ready and served.

Let’s dig a little bit deeper. There are small, artisanal producers that grind corn with nuanced flavors from regional and heirloom corn varieties. And there are large-scale and industrial producers whose cornmeal, polenta, and grits are acquainted grocery retailer staples. Right here’s the catch: There aren’t any labeling requirements requiring packages to listing the corn’s origin or processing methodology.

Smaller producers would possibly proudly listing these particulars in addition to the coarseness of the grind, and whether or not it’s stoneground; whereas grocery retailer choices is perhaps generically labeled ‘polenta’ or ‘grits’ with no additional element. If there’s a silver lining to those labeling vagueries, it could be to underscore the interchangeability of those three merchandise within the kitchen.

In our quest to be taught all about cornmeal, grits, and polenta, we spoke with Virginia Willis, chef, cookbook writer, and Southern foodways professional. She recalled an outdated joke that goes again to when Italian polenta first made a giant splash on the American specialty meals and restaurant scene. The opening goes, “What’s the distinction between a bag of grits and a bag of polenta?” The punchline: “About $15.”

In all seriousness although, Willis, together with different consultants we reached out to—together with grain authorities Glenn Roberts and Claire Reynolds from Anson Mills, an artisan mill in Columbia, South Carolina specializing in heirloom corn and different grains, in addition to Bob’s Purple Mill’s Culinary Content material Specialist, Sarena Shasteen—all inspired cooks to hunt out and use the precise product referred to as for in a recipe to realize optimum outcomes.

Grits

Learn how to Make Grits

A very nice bowl of grits does not want something greater than a little bit butter and salt.

prepare dinner time:


35 minutes

serves:


2

Nonetheless, they acknowledged the must be resourceful within the kitchen and on the grocery retailer. As Shasteen talked about in an electronic mail, “You may typically substitute polenta, grits, and cornmeal, maintaining in thoughts the variations in texture.” You may additionally want to regulate cooking time and liquid quantities, per Shasteen, as completely different grinds prepare dinner at completely different charges and take up liquid otherwise.

Additional underscoring this level, Severe Eats’s editorial director Daniel writes about polenta, “Polenta does not need to be made with a product that claims ‘polenta’ on the bundle. There’s nothing mistaken with utilizing a product designed solely for polenta, however you possibly can simply as simply use any medium- or coarse-ground cornmeal.” Backside line: There may be loads of room for interchangeability.

As a lot as these merchandise overlap, there are some particulars price discussing that may assist us differentiate them.

What Type of Corn Is Used to Make Cornmeal, Polenta, and Grits? 

The kind of discipline corn used for cornmeal and grits is dent corn, which is comparatively tender and starchy, and will get its identify from the little dent on the high of the kernel. True Italian polenta, alternatively, comes from flint corn, so referred to as for being as exhausting as flint. A selected number of flint corn, referred to as “otto file” (which describes the “eight rows” of kernels on every cob), is usually the corn of selection for Italian polenta. That mentioned, some American firms promote polenta constructed from corn grown within the US which will or could not have Italian lineage—contemplating the aforementioned bundle label vagueries, there’s typically no simple strategy to know.

You could find numerous sorts of each dent and flint corn grown and milled by small farms that concentrate on cultivating and preserving regional and heirloom varieties, prized for his or her depth of taste and terroir (a time period that refers to an agricultural product’s distinct native traits).

Some producers, like Anson Mills within the US, focus on freshly milled grains and have gained a following amongst dwelling cooks and cooks for his or her consideration to historic varieties and taste. Extra broadly accessible choices embrace manufacturers like Bob’s Purple Mill, which sources US-grown corn cultivated with out artificial pesticides or fertilizers, based on Shasteen. On the different finish of the spectrum are large-scale industrial producers whose sourcing practices are much less clear.

The Significance of the Grind

Other than the kind of corn used, one of many main elements that may distinguish cornmeal, polenta, and grits from one another is the grind itself.

Industrial vs. Stoneground: Giant industrial manufacturers usually use metallic rollers or grinders to mill corn. Many of the hull and the germ are faraway from the kernels on this course of, which provides them a protracted shelf life, and a texture that’s pretty uniform. When corn is stoneground, it’s actually floor between stones. Some/a lot of the hull and germ stay intact, that means extra textural variation and deeper taste. It additionally produces a wider vary of particles, some bigger, some finer, leading to a extra diverse ultimate texture. 

Grind measurement: Whether or not it’s floor industrially or stoneground, corn could be floor to completely different sizes. Finer cornmeal is usually used to make extra delicate baked items, whereas extra coarsely floor cornmeal is properly fitted to hearty bowls of grits or polenta. Take into account that the dimensions of the grind additionally signifies how briskly it would take up liquid and prepare dinner, with finer grinds absorbing water extra shortly.

A Be aware on On the spot Polenta and Grits 

A lot of the polenta and grits on the cabinets in grocery shops in the present day are prompt or quick-cooking. On the spot merchandise are usually finely floor corn that’s been cooked, dried, after which floor once more. Add these grains to sizzling liquid, stir very briefly, they usually’re carried out. However that point financial savings comes on the expense of taste and texture. Willis likens prompt grits to a “pot of starch with no taste.” As she places it, “On the spot grits are zombie grits. They don’t have any soul.” The identical is true of polenta.

Willis recommends selecting the longest cooking product accessible—on the earth of grocery retailer grits, quick-cook is healthier than prompt, and old style is healthier than quick-cook. Which means that if you happen to’re confronted with solely prompt or quick-cook polenta or grits alongside medium or coarse cornmeal and wish to make polenta or grits, you are typically higher off getting the coarse cornmeal and skipping the others, even when they’ve the extra applicable identify on the bag.

Cornmeal, Polenta, and Grits: A Nearer Look

Cornmeal 

That is the broadest and hardest to outline of all of the phrases, as a result of “cornmeal” merely describes a dried meal constructed from corn. Cornmeal could be floor to any measurement, could be constructed from many various kinds of corn, and can be utilized for any possible goal. In actual fact, one can accurately think about polenta and grits to be kinds of cornmeal (in that they’re meals constructed from corn). As a result of it is such an all-encompassing time period, it is necessary to know that not all kinds of cornmeal are applicable for all makes use of.

Most merchandise offered as “cornmeal” are a fine- to medium-grind, and can be utilized to make cornbread, corn muffins, and hush puppies, to “bread” fish and seafood for frying, and to mud a pizza pan so the crust does not stick. Some producers, together with Bob’s Purple Mill, additionally make coarse-ground cornmeal, which might work properly as a stand-in for polenta and grits. Relying on the way it’s cooked and served, that very same coarse cornmeal is perhaps referred to as polenta in a single kitchen and grits in one other.

Polenta 

Most strongly related to the cooking of northern Italy, polenta is kind of an Italian cousin to grits. Polenta dates again to historic Roman instances and was initially a time period for mush or porridge constructed from numerous grains cooked with water. Earlier than corn made its strategy to Italy from the New World within the 1500s, grains starting from buckwheat to fava beans had been the norm. Ultimately, corn turned the popular grain for polenta, and now the dish is sort of synonymous with corn.

Whereas a lot much less widespread, you possibly can nonetheless typically discover “taragna” or “nera” polenta, which is a mixture of corn polenta and buckwheat flour that hails from the Italian Alpine valleys north of Brescia and Bergamo. Whether or not it has genuine Italian lineage or not, polenta in the present day is usually medium- or coarsely-ground corn with a texture just like grits which will or might not be stoneground. Stoneground polenta cooks up right into a porridge with a extra diverse texture in comparison with polenta floor to a extra constant measurement; many prize the feel of stoneground, nevertheless it’s finally a query of non-public desire.

Polenta is greatest when slowly cooked in liquid (often water or broth) over low warmth. Because it cooks, the grains swell and launch their starches, turning into thick and creamy. Polenta could be a most important course, typically topped with braised meats or melted cheese, or a aspect dish, enriched with butter and/or cheese stirred in on the finish of cooking. Polenta may also be cooled and set, then later sliced, crisped (often grilled or fried), and topped with cheeses, olives, recent herbs—nearly like toast. Or attempt Virginia Willis’s favourite approach: Reduce agency polenta into cubes, then fry them and use them as croutons, a go-to methodology Willis discovered in Tuscany from cookbook writer and meals professional Paula Lambert.

Pre-cooked polenta can also be offered in tubes on the grocery retailer, typically refrigerated, typically shelf-stable. Not all cooks like its taste or texture, however in a pinch it may be minimize up and fried, and even made tender and creamy once more by simmering in liquid, after which mashing it completely to take away lumps. 

Grits 

Grits refers to corn that is been coarsely floor for the precise goal of creating the Southern dish of the identical identify. On the retailer, search for the longest-cooking grits accessible, and simmer them with water, or presumably inventory (shrimp inventory is a pleasant addition if you happen to’re making shrimp and grits).

Cooking over low warmth will assist develop the very best texture, giving the grits loads of time to completely take up water, hydrate, and slowly launch their starches for a creamy, corn-forward end result. Grits could be a easy breakfast aspect dish topped with simply salt, pepper, and a pat of butter (Sarena Shasteen’s favourite), as the bottom for Lowcountry seafood stews like shrimp and grits, or reimagined in new methods (Virginia Willis makes use of it because the topping on her Southern-style shepherd’s pie).

Typically grits are offered as “hominy” grits, one other time period that may add appreciable confusion. Historically, hominy grits differ from different grits in that the dried corn they’re constructed from has been soaked and simmered in an alkaline resolution to take away their hulls. The method known as nixtamalization, and it makes a number of the vitamins within the corn simpler for our our bodies to soak up. This ensuing corn known as hominy, and it’s dried and floor to make hominy grits.

Be careful, although, as a result of some merchandise which are offered as “hominy” grits are made with common dried corn and never nixtamalized corn (as soon as once more, we are able to thank an absence of labeling laws for this confusion). You may determine whether or not the corn in “hominy” grits has really been nixtamalized or not from the ingredient listing—it ought to embrace some sort of alkaline agent like calcium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide (you may additionally see widespread names for these alkalis like “lime” or “cal”).

Masa Harina

So long as we’re discussing hominy and nixtamalization, it is price briefly acknowledging one other nixtamalized corn flour on market cabinets: masa harina. Just like the hominy talked about above, the corn for masa harina is soaked and simmered in alkalized water earlier than being floor right into a dough referred to as masa after which dried to make masa harina. It is shelf-stable and might simply be reconstituted and used identical to recent masa to make Mesoamerican meals like tortillas, tamales, and a lot extra.