Cornmeal Explained

Main Ingredient:	Corn
Cookbook:	Cornmeal

Cornmeal is a meal (coarse flour) ground from dried corn (maize). It is a common staple food and is ground to coarse, medium, and fine consistencies, but it is not as fine as wheat flour can be.^{[1] [2] [3]} In Mexico and Louisiana, very finely ground cornmeal is referred to as corn flour.^[4] When fine cornmeal is made from maize that has been soaked in an alkaline solution, e.g., limewater (a process known as nixtamalization), it is called masa harina (or masa flour), which is used for making arepas, tamales, and tortillas.^{[5] [6]} Boiled cornmeal is called polenta in Italy and is also a traditional dish and bread substitute in Romania.^[7]

Types

There are various types of cornmeal:

• Blue cornmeal is light blue or violet in color. It is ground from whole blue corn and has a sweet flavor. The cornmeal consists of dried corn kernels that have been ground into a fine or medium texture.^{[8] [9]}
• Steel-ground yellow cornmeal, which is common mostly in the United States, has the husk and germ of the maize kernel almost completely removed. It will remain fresh for about a year if stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.^{[10] [11]}
• Stone-ground cornmeal retains some of the hull and germ, lending a little more flavor and nutrition to recipes. It is more perishable, but will store longer if refrigerated. However, it too can have a shelf life of many months if kept in a reasonably cool place.^{[8] [12]}
• White cornmeal (mielie-meal), made from white corn, is more common in parts of Africa. It is also popular in the Southern United States for making cornbread.^{[8] [13]}

Regional usage

Caribbean

• Cornmeal porridge - a popular meal served for breakfast in Jamaica and Southern Africa.^[14]
• Cou-cou - part of the national dish of Barbados, "cou-cou and flying fish".^[15]
• Funche - a typical breakfast in Puerto Rico cornmeal cooked with coconut milk, milk, raisins, butter, cloves, vanilla, ginger, sugar or honey and topped with fruit and cinnamon. There is also a savory funche made with cornmeal, coconut milk, chicken stock, sofrito and other ingredients. These are usually served with fish.^{[16] [17]}
• Funchi also known as fungi/fungee - a cornmeal mush cooked and cooled into a stiff pudding, sometimes eaten with saltfish or pepperpot. It is consumed on the islands of Curaçao, Saint Martin and is part of the national dish of Antigua and Barbuda.^{[18] [19]}
• Mayi moulen - a cornmeal dish in Haiti often cooked with fish or spinach. Can be eaten with avocado.^[20]

East Asia

• Rolled corn porridge known as 糝糝飯 (Jin Chinese: pronounced as /cjy/ or pronounced as /cjy/) is far more common than millet porridge in Shanxi and Shaanxi due to their disparity of local production.^{[21] [22]} Even if foxtail millet porridge is made, it is usually topped with rolled corn.^[23] In Ji-lu Mandarin, rolled corn porridge is known as 棒子面粥 bangzimianzhou.^[24]
• Wo tou (窩頭) - Shaped like a hollow cone, this cornbread looks like a bird's nest, after which it is named. It is commonly eaten in northern China, and may contain dried jujubes and other flavoring agents.^{[25] [26] [27]}

Africa

• Tuwo masara - Northern Nigeria^{[28] [29]}
• Mielie-meal or maize meal - Southern Africa^[30]
• Nomadi - Democratic Republic of the Congo^[31]
• Nshima or bwali - Zambia^{[32] [33] [34]}
• Nsima - Malawi^{[35] [36]}
• Oshifima or Oshimbob - Namibia
• Sadza / Isitshwala/ - Zimbabwe^{[37] [38] [39]}
• Ugali - Great Lakes (sima and posho in Uganda)^[40]
• Recipes that may use cornmeal as an additional ingredient are fufu (foufou) in Central and West Africa.
• Soor - Somalia^{[41] [42]}
• Cornmeal is also often used as an additional ingredient in the preparation of injera or lahoh, flatbread that is traditionally eaten in the countries of the Horn of Africa (Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia) and nearby Yemen.^{[43] [44] [45] [46]}
• Poudine maïs - Mauritius^{[47] [48]}

Europe

• Arapash or harapash - Albania (similar to the Romanian style but often combined with lamb organs, or/and goat cheese)^[49]
• Farina di granturco - Italy (not the same as farina, which is made from wheat)^[50]
• G'omi (Georgian: ღომი|tr), mchadi (Georgian: Georgian: მჭადი|tr), tchvishtari - Georgia (g'omi is similar to polenta, mchadi - cornbread, tshvishtari - cheese cornbread). Known by different names in local languages (Abkhazian: абысҭа abysta, Adyghe; Adygei: мамрыс mamrys, Ingush: журан-худар juran-hudar, Nogai: мамырза mamyrza, Ossetian; Ossetic: дзыкка dzykka or сера sera), it is also widespread in other Caucasian cuisines.^{[51] [52]}
• Indian Meal - Ireland
• Kachamak (качамак) - Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Serbia^{[53] [54]}
• Mălai - Romania (the cornmeal itself; prepared as mămăligă)^{[55] [56]}
• Polenta - southern Europe, especially North Italy^{[57] [58] [59]}
• Banush - Ukraine (the dish prepared from cornmeal with added śmietana, topped with pork rind or mushrooms and bryndza etc. The dish is popular in the Carpathian region of western Ukraine)^{[60] [61] [62]}
• Kuymak - Turkey, especially in the northern parts around the Black Sea.

South America

• Fubá - Brazil.
• Masarepa - Soaked and cooked corn, ground fine into a flour, used in Colombia and Venezuela to make arepas, almojábanas and empanadas.^[63]
• Polenta - a typical dish in many countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.^[64]
• Karoe papa (cornmeal porridge, mais pap) - a staple meal served in Suriname as breakfast or dessert with vanilla and/or almond essence, cinnamon and nutmeg.^[65]

North America

• Masa or masa harina - Nixtamalized corn used for making tamales and tortillas in Central America, Mexico, and South America.^[66]
• As a batter for a fried food, such as corn dogs^{[67] [68]}
• Made into bread, as in corn fritters, cornbread, hushpuppies, jonnycakes, or spoonbread^{[69] [70] [71]}
• As breading for fried or baked foods, such as fried fish
• As a breakfast cereal ingredient
  • Cheese curl-type snack foods, such as Cheetos and Cheezies In corn chips such as Fritos, but not tortilla chips or corn tortillas, which are made from nixtamalized maize flour
• Peameal bacon, back bacon rolled in cornmeal, known colloquially in the U.S. as ‘Canadian bacon’
• As a release agent to prevent breads and pizza from sticking to their pans when baking
• As grits^{[72] [73] [74]}
• As a porridge, such as cornmeal mush, which is often then sliced and grilled^{[75] [76]}
• Known as "samp", it was used in colonial times as a kind of porridge.^[77]

South Asia

• Makki di roti - a traditional Punjabi bread often eaten with saag in Punjab province of northern India and eastern Pakistan^{[78] [79]}

In parts of northern India and Pakistan ground corn flour is used to make thick slabs of bread which can be eaten with a wide variety of curry dishes or it can be coated in clarified butter or ghee and eaten with yogurt or lassi, a yogurt-based drink.

See also

• Maize flour
• Semolina
• List of maize dishes

Notes and References

1. Herbst, Sharon, Food Lover's Companion, Third Edition, Pg. 165, Barrons Educational Series Inc, 2001
2. Web site: Schlette . Jennifer . 2021-10-26 . What's the Difference Between Corn Flour and Cornmeal? Solved . 2022-05-04 . Kitchen Substitute . en-US.
3. Web site: Difference Between Cornmeal and Corn Flour . 2022-05-04 . Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms . 29 April 2014 . en-US.
4. Web site: What is corn meal in Mexico? . 2022-05-04 . onebigpoint.com.
5. Web site: What is Masa Harina? . 2022-05-04 . WebstaurantStore . en.
6. Web site: It's Easy to Make Your Own Tortillas With Masa Harina . 2022-05-04 . The Spruce Eats . en.
7. Web site: Cornmeal . 2022-05-04 . www.chefsteps.com . en.
8. Book: Philip . Kilbride . Jane . Goodale . Elizabeth . Ameisen . Encounters With American Ethnic Cultures . July 24, 2010 . 1990 . . Tuscaloosa, Alabama . 0-8173-0471-1 . 82.
9. Web site: GourmetSleuth . Cornmeal . 2022-05-04 . Gourmet Sleuth . en-US.
10. News: USAID. Section II: Food Commodity Fact Sheets. Commodities Reference Guide. 2013-10-26. https://archive.today/20130217224355/http://transition.usaid.gov/our_work/humanitarian_assistance/ffp/crg/fscornmeal.htm. 2013-02-17. dead.
11. Web site: Cornmeal . 2022-05-04 . Gourmet Sleuth . en-US.
12. Web site: 2021-11-12 . Stone-ground Cornmeal vs. Regular Grocery Store Cornmeal: What's the Difference? . 2022-05-04 . Stoney Creek Farm . en-US.
13. Web site: Difference Between White and Yellow Cornmeal (With Table) – Ask Any Difference . 2022-05-04 . askanydifference.com . 8 January 2021 . en-us.
14. Web site: Murphy . Winsome . 2004-03-14 . Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge Recipe . 2022-05-05 . Jamaicans.com . en-US.
15. News: Sacirbey . Omar . 2009-11-11 . Flying fish dish is a taste of Barbados . Boston.com . 2022-05-05.
16. Web site: 2014-03-09 . Funche (Puerto Rican Polenta) . 2022-05-05 . Hispanic Kitchen . en-US.
17. Web site: 2020-07-19 . 8 Best Puerto Rican Breakfast Foods for a True Boricua Breakfast . 2022-05-05 . Amigofoods . en-US.
18. Web site: 2022-02-04 . Fungee and Pepperpot National Dish of Antigua . 2022-05-05 . Jirie Caribbean . en-US.
19. Web site: National Dish of Antigua and Barbuda – Fungee . 2022-05-05 . Nationalfoody . en-US.
20. Web site: JB . Nathalie . 2013-01-17 . Mayi moulen ak Epina e Zaboka (Cornmeal with Spinach and Avocado) . 2022-05-05 . PILON LAKAY . en.
21. News: 山西日常饮食风俗. 2006-05-11. 山西新闻网. Sina.
22. Book: 邢向东. 吴堡方言调查研究. 2014. 王兆富. 中华书局. 51, 54, 57.
23. News: 糁糁饭. 郝妙海. 太原日报. 7. 2021-09-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20230820173142/http://epaper.tyrbw.com/tyrb/resfile/2021-09-08/07/tyrb2021090807.pdf . 2023-08-20.
24. News: 曹克谦. 【武垣风】家乡的棒子面粥. 肃宁周报. 2022-04-16.
25. Web site: Kasell . Frank . Cornbread! . 2022-05-05 . en.
26. Web site: Royal Steamed Cornbread Recipe . 2022-05-05 . My Chinese Recipes . 3 October 2019 . en-US.
27. Web site: Food Folk Tales: Woutou . 2022-05-05 . BITE.
28. Web site: Eshemokha . Udomoh . 2020-07-31 . TUWO MASARA: Health Benefits, How to prepare Tuwo Masara, Tuwo Masara Recipes . 2022-05-05 . Nigerian Health Blog . en-US.
29. Web site: Recipe of Ultimate Corn meal swallow (tuwon masara) - cookandrecipe.com . 2022-05-05 . cookandrecipe.com.
30. Web site: Heerden . Ingrid van . Mieliepap (maize meal porridge) and the glycaemic index . 2022-05-05 . Health24.
31. Web site: About Corn Meal . 2022-05-05 . ifood.tv . en.
32. Web site: Nshima and Ndiwo – Mwizenge S. Tembo . 2022-05-05 . en-US.
33. Web site: 2012-08-03 . Nshima: A Staple Food in Zambia . 2022-05-05 . The Turquoise Table . en-US.
34. Web site: What Is Nshima? (with pictures) . 2022-05-05 . www.wise-geek.com . en-US.
35. Web site: 2021-05-06 . Learn to Make Nsima, Malawi's Staple Food . 2022-05-05 . Orant Charities Africa . en-US.
36. Web site: UNESCO - Nsima, culinary tradition of Malawi . 2022-05-05 . ich.unesco.org . en.
37. Web site: Sadza Traditional Porridge From Zimbabwe TasteAtlas . 2022-05-06 . www.tasteatlas.com.
38. Web site: 2020-09-04 . Sadza - Ugali (African Cornmeal) . 2022-05-06 . Chef Lola's Kitchen . en-US.
39. Web site: 2012-10-22 . How to make plain Sadza . 2022-05-06 . ZimboKitchen . en-US.
40. Web site: Ugali Recipe (African cornmeal mush). chefbrad. 2008-05-02. Whats4eats. en. 2020-05-28.
41. Web site: Somali Corn Grits (Soor Furfur ah) (Zijjo zaa Gelle) Semoule de Maïs Somali Xawaash.com . 2022-05-06 . en-US.
42. Web site: Johnson . Alex . 2020-12-24 . 11 Traditional Somalian Foods Everyone Should Try . 2022-05-06 . Medmunch . en-US.
43. Web site: 2015-10-15 . Injera . 2022-05-06 . Immaculate Bites . en-US.
44. Web site: Lahoh Sana'ani . 2022-05-06 . Sheba Yemeni Food.
45. Web site: Kristi . National Dish of Somalia Lahoh . 2022-05-06 . National Dishes of the World . en-US.
46. Web site: 2015-09-03 . Ethiopian Flat Bread Injera . 2022-05-06 . Gayathri's Cook Spot . en-US.
47. Web site: 2012-08-14 . Poudine Mais-Mauritian Sweet . 2022-05-06 . Gayathri's Cook Spot . en-US.
48. Web site: 2020-09-29 . Mauritian Polenta Pudding aka "Poudine Maïs" . 2022-05-06 . à table with Aulson . en-US. This is a local dessert dish made from maize flour in which milk, sugar, dried sultanas and cardamon powder are cooked together. The cooked paste is poured on a tray and coconut powder is sprinkled thereon and left to cool. This dessert is often cut into triangular shapes and can be bought from food vendors in the streets of Port Louis and also in market fairs around the island.
49. Web site: 10 Most Popular Southeastern European Porridges . 2022-05-06 . www.tasteatlas.com.
50. Web site: Etherington . Daniel . 2013-06-11 . Italian flour: types and terminology . 2022-05-06 . Bread, Cakes And Ale . en.
51. Web site: 2017-07-05 . Corn bread with cheese (chvishtari ჭვიშტარი) . 2022-05-06 . Georgiancook . en-US.
52. Web site: 2013-03-29 . MCHADI (GEORGIAN CORNBREAD) . 2022-05-06 . Georgian Recipes . en.
53. Web site: Kachamak Recipe . 2022-05-06 . www.food.com . en.
54. Web site: Kachamak /Polenta Balkan style/ . 2022-05-06 . SooFoodies . en-US.
55. Web site: Reznic . Michal . Mamaliga (Romanian Polenta) . 2022-05-06 . Jamie Geller . en-us.
56. Web site: Mămăligă: A Romanian-Style Cornmeal Porridge Similar to Polenta . 2022-05-06 . The Spruce Eats . en.
57. Web site: What Is Polenta? . 2022-05-06 . Food Network . en.
58. Web site: Smooth and Creamy Polenta Recipe . 2022-05-06 . Serious Eats . en.
59. Web site: Polenta . 2022-05-06 . BBC Good Food . en-US.
60. Web site: Hutsul Dish Banosh/ Banush Recipe . 2022-05-06 . Chef's Pencil . 20 April 2022 . en-US.
61. Web site: Hutsul Banush, Ukraine National Cuisine - Recipes, Pictures, Info. . 2022-05-06 . ukrainefood.info . en.
62. Web site: Banush - Recipe With Photo Recipes 2022 . 2022-05-06 . Culinary food recipes . en.
63. Web site: 2009-02-12 . Masarepa (Arepa Flour) . 2022-05-06 . My Colombian Recipes . en.
64. Web site: La storia della polenta . I primi d'Italia . it . The history of polenta . 31 January 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131202110652/http://www.iprimiditalia.it/proposito_primi_singola.php?&idcat=126 . 2 December 2013 .
65. Web site: Jenny . 2014-10-10 . Mais pap (Korenmeel pap) . 2024-05-24 . Surinamcooking . nl-NL.
66. Web site: Masarepa - - Precooked Corn Flour for Making Arepas. July 8, 2015. About Food. Blazes. Marian. December 20, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161220031130/http://southamericanfood.about.com/od/glossaryofterms/g/arepaflour.htm. dead.
67. Web site: Suzzanna . Corn Dogs . 2022-05-06 . Allrecipes . en.
68. Web site: Dobby . 2020-08-05 . Corn Dogs Recipe . 2022-05-06 . Dobby's Signature . en-US.
69. Web site: cornbread Definition, Ingredients, & Variations Britannica . 2022-05-06 . www.britannica.com . en.
70. Web site: 2015-06-02 . My Favorite Cornbread Recipe . 2022-05-06 . Sally's Baking Addiction . en-US.
71. Web site: 2021-03-03 . Corn Fritters . 2022-05-06 . Life Made Simple . en-US.
72. Web site: March 19, 2019 . Kelly . Vaughan . What Are Grits? . 2022-05-07 . Real Simple . en.
73. Web site: How To Make True Southern-Style Grits . 2022-05-07 . Kitchn . en.
74. Web site: What Are Grits? . 2022-05-07 . Food Network . en.
75. News: Fried Cornmeal Mush Recipe. Allrecipes. 2018-11-26. en-us.
76. Web site: A Southern Comfort: Fried Cornmeal Mush . 2022-05-07 . The Spruce Eats . en.
77. Web site: Samp - Recipe. www.cooks.com. 2018-11-26.
78. Web site: Makki Ki Roti Recipe - Punjabi Makki Di Roti in 10 Easy Steps . 2022-05-07 . foodviva.com . en-US.
79. Web site: 2021-01-12 . Makki ki roti . 2022-05-07 . RuchisKitchen . en-US.