Polenta, for all tastes and in all sauces
Polenta is one of the oldest dishes in history.
Known already in the time of the Sumerians and in Mesopotamia, it is also mentioned in Antiquity.
Initially, it was a paste made from crushed spelled cooked in water and salt and was considered a miserable dish.
In Roman times, we called “pultem” a kind of soft polenta, formed from ground and cooked spelled.
Maize was not introduced until later when Europe discovered America and it was then that it dethroned spelled as the base material for polenta.
Most likely in Italy, the Friulians were the first to use this cereal, around the year 1550. At the time, corn was called “the wheat of Turkey”.
Polenta is a typical dish from northern Italy. It is mainly found in mountain regions: Valtellina, in Lombardy, but also Trentino Alto Adige, Aosta Valley and Piedmont.
Very simple basic ingredients are the reason for its success: it is a mixture of water and flour (mainly corn flour, but some recipes are made from other cereals such as buckwheat or with chestnut flour).
This is eaten as a pancake or porridge. Creamy to perfection, it accompanies many vegetarian dishes, but also meat or fish.
There are no controlled names for polenta.
The revisited polenta is now on the menu of starred restaurants. This corn dough lends itself very well to deconstruction, and it is easy to vary its shapes, from the small square to the large plaster including the fries, to capture the interest and the gaze of the guests.
Polenta also accommodates many variations.
As a starch rich in slow sugars, polenta fulfills its role as the basic cereal of the meal. Thus, meats in sauce go extremely well with the recipe, which will then replace pasta or rice. Coq au vin, stew, beef bourguignon are just some of the dishes for which corn can add a surprising touch that will make us rediscover a dish. On the seaside, polenta is not difficult and goes easily with hake, sea bream and small fried fish.
The nutritional benefits of corn are numerous. We then find many nutrients in the polenta (phosphorus, magnesium, iron, potassium), as well as vitamin B in quantity (which fights against bad cholesterol).
Discover without further delay our Polenta
