This post originally appeared in an edition of What’s the Difference?, a weekly newsletter for the curious and confused by New York City writer Brette Warshaw. Eater will be publishing all editions that parse food-related differences, though those hardly scratch the surface of the world’s (and the newsletter’s) curiosities: Sign up to get What’s the Difference? in your inbox or catch up on the full archive.
What’s the difference between...
Grits, Polenta, and Cornmeal?
Sometimes, it’s fun to eat things that challenge us: the almost-too-sour pickles that make our mouths pucker, the mapo tofu that makes our tongue and lips and cheeks tingle, the bowl of curry or chili that’s so spicy that it causes us physical pain but we can’t stop eating it because if we do the pain becomes slightly too unbearable, etc. And then sometimes, it’s nice to eat adult baby food. Enter the world of dried-and-ground corn; the stuff that, when simmered with water or milk or stock, becomes a gruel-like porridge has been soothing people for millennia. But what’s the difference between cornmeal, grits, and polenta? Is there even a difference at all? Let’s get into it.
Both grits and polenta fall under the heading of cornmeal, which is essentially a coarse flour, or “meal,” made from dried corn. Cornmeal can be yellow or white, fine, medium, or coarsely ground, each with its own distinct purposes; fine cornmeal, for example, is best used for baking, as its texture won’t interfere with the rest of the dish. Conventional cornmeal — most of the stuff you’ll find on the grocery-store shelf — is “degerminated,” which means the hull and the germ have been removed from the kernels; this creates a shelf-stable product with a somewhat uniform texture. Stone-ground cornmeal, on the other hand, is whole grain; it still has the hull and the oil-rich germ attached, making it more perishable (and artisanal) than the standard stuff.
Grits are made from coarse-ground or coarser-than-coarse-ground cornmeal, and the term can refer to both the ingredient and the finished dish, most popular in the South. Like most of the cornmeal you’ll find in the United States, grits are typically made from dent corn: a variety with a low sugar content, a soft, starchy center, and a particularly pronounced “corn” flavor. Grits can be white or yellow, both of which are traditional; historically, white grits were popular in the urban ports of the South, while yellow were more popular in the rural, inland areas.
The word “polenta,” like “grits,” can refer to both an ingredient and a finished dish — though polenta, in Italy, can be made with any type of ground grains or starches, not just corn. The corn the Italians do use, however, is historically different than the corn used for most cornmeal and grits in the United States; instead of dent corn, true polenta is made from a varietal called flint corn, or otto file. This type of heirloom corn holds its texture a bit better than dent corn, giving it a slightly different texture than grits. Purists and nerds: this one’s for you.
Although we delight in these nitpicky, hair-splitting differences, let’s be honest: you can use coarse-ground cornmeal for any of these dishes, and they will taste just great. Just stay away from anything labeled “instant” or “quick-cooking,” whether it’s grits, polenta, or anything else in the category; that stuff is dried, par-cooked, and then dried out again, and it tastes like sawdust. Stick with the real stuff — whatever it is — and you’ll be good as gold.
• What’s the Difference Between Grits, Polenta, and Cornmeal? [wtd]
FAQs
For starters, southern grits are generally made with white corn, while Italian-style polenta is made from yellow corn. Cornmeal is similar to polenta, but rather than being turned into a rich, savory side dish, it's used as an ingredient for baked goods like cornbread and corn muffins.
What do Italians call grits? ›
To summarize: polenta is a porridge made (generally) from corn. It is often finished with cheese. It could be fairly stated that polenta is Italian grits.
What is polenta called in America? ›
However, cornmeal polenta is by far the most common preparation and today, particularly in the United States, when you hear the term "polenta," it refers to the cornmeal version.
Can cornmeal be used for grits? ›
Can you substitute cornmeal for grits? While grits and cornmeal can be substituted for each other, cornmeal is considerably finer and will give you a dish with a much smoother texture than grits.
What do Americans call grits? ›
grits, a porridge of coarsely ground grain, especially hominy, that is the basis for a popular foodstuff in the American South. It resembles the Italian ground-corn dish called polenta, but the latter is typically made of ground flint corn, which yields a firm cornmeal.
What is the Mexican equivalent of grits? ›
Grits refers to a ground-corn originating from Native American corn, that is common in the Southern United States and mainly eaten at breakfast. Mexican atole, and Italian polenta maize foods also originated from pre-columbian Native American corn.
What do British people call grits? ›
we don't have corn grits here. so closest we have is porridge aka oatmeal. Probably too old for most of you. It's called polenta in the UK.
Which country eats the most polenta? ›
Polenta is so widespread there that northern Italians are sometimes called polentoni, “polenta-eaters.” Polenta is traditionally prepared in a paiolo, a large copper pan tapered at the bottom, and stirred with a long wooden paddle called a tarai.
Are semolina and polenta the same? ›
What Is the Difference Between Polenta and Semolina? As polenta is made from corn, it's gluten-free. Semolina, on the other hand, is coarsely ground, high-gluten durum wheat used to make pasta, cakes, and breads. Photo by Getty Images.
Did Native Americans eat polenta? ›
Columbus informed Europeans that the Native Americans made the dish by adding water to cornmeal and serving it with various sauces, cheeses and fresh meat. Over time Europeans discovered that the plant was easy to grow, especially in Southern Italy. Furthermore, cultivating it was cheap.
Polenta is great, but it can be a little more expensive. Then, I discovered Quaker cornmeal as a substitute. One morning I only had a little bit of polenta — so I added a few tablespoons of cornmeal, and it was fantastic with a splash of milk, a tablespoon of mascarpone cheese, and a 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar cheese.
Can I use Quaker yellow cornmeal for polenta? ›
Polenta is basically cornmeal mush, and it can be made with any kind of cornmeal, ground coarse, medium or fine.
What is ground corn called? ›
Grits are ground corn, and like many porridges, such as oatmeal or rice, the ultimate comfort food. The term “grist,” meaning grain for milling, became “grits.” Cornmeal is ground corn, as well – simply a much finer, flour-like grind.
What does "kiss my grits" mean? ›
One of the waitresses was a Southern lady with a very feisty attitude. Whenever somebody pissed her off she would say: “Kiss my grits!” Which would be a polite way (because Southern people are always very polite) of telling them to kiss her butt.
Why don't northerners eat grits? ›
It`s a tradition. ”Northerners don`t like grits because they expect them to have a lot of taste,” says Carl Allen, owner of Allen`s Historical Cafe in Auburndale, Fla. ”And as anyone who has eaten them knows, grits don`t have much taste. They`re just kind of blah, very bland tasting.”
Are grits and polenta the same thing? ›
Since polenta and grits are both made from ground corn, you can use them interchangeably. Bear in mind that grits are higher in starch than polenta, so if you sub in polenta for grits, you won't have to stir it as frequently, but it won't cook up as creamy as grits.
What's the difference between polenta and grits? ›
Yes, both grits and polenta are made from ground corn, but the main difference here is what type of corn. Polenta, as you can probably guess from the color, is made from yellow corn, while grits are normally made from white corn (or hominy).
What are grits in Europe? ›
Grits are dried, ground corn, coarser than cornmeal, meant to be cooked into a sort of porridge-like consistency. Very similar to polenta, really. Usually eaten at breakfast (but not always), served with butter and sometimes cheese, some heathens eat it with butter and sugar.
What do Italians call cornmeal? ›
Polenta (/pəˈlɛntə, poʊˈ-/, Italian: [poˈlɛnta]) is a dish of boiled cornmeal that was historically made from other grains. The dish comes from Italy.
