Polenta
Coarse maize meal cooked into a porridge or set and grilled.
About Polenta
Polenta is a maize-based dish made by cooking coarse meal in water or another liquid until it becomes a porridge or sets into a sliceable mass. It is served as a side dish, a base for sauces, or a component of baked, fried, or grilled preparations.
Its flavour is mild, sweet-corn-like, and slightly earthy. Freshly cooked polenta is soft and spoonable; cooling firms it into a sliceable block. Baking, frying, or grilling creates a denser interior and a browned, crisp or chewy surface, depending on the cut and heat.
It is sold as dry coarse maize meal, quick-cooking meal, or prepared polenta. The meal may be cooked plain or enriched with salt, butter, cheese, stock, or herbs, and the grind affects cooking time and the smoothness or coarseness of the result.
- Ingredient type
- flour
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Main dishes
Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.
Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.
Local names for polenta
Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.
Polenta
polenta
Polenta ou semoule de maïs, cuite, sans sel ajouté
Search alias · Not a confirmed translation
Polenta ou semoule de maïs, précuite, à cuire
Search alias · Not a confirmed translation
Polenta, hydrated, raw
Search alias · Not a confirmed translation
Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.
Name not available yet.
A name in English has not been added for polenta. Choose another language to see its available names.
Polenta nutrition & diet
Polenta nutritional value
Reference: Polenta, hydrated, raw
Per 100 g of the edible portion of the stated reference food.
- Calories
- 68kcal
- Protein
- 1.9g
- Carbs
- 15.2g
- Fat
- 0.4g
Reference example for the named food and preparation, per 100 g edible portion. This is not a universal value for every recipe or brand; packaged products should be compared with their own label. CoFID 2021 food code 11-905. Carbohydrate follows the dataset’s available-carbohydrate convention. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/.
Portions & preparation
Specify whether the reference concerns dry maize meal or cooked polenta, since water absorption changes serving weight and texture. Coarse, medium, and finely ground products may cook differently. Record additions such as butter, cheese, milk, stock, salt, oil, or toppings rather than treating them as plain maize.
Compare the right form: Reference data must match dry maize meal or prepared polenta, including grind, cooking liquid, consistency, and any butter, cheese, milk, or toppings.
Diet considerations
Polenta is plant-derived maize meal when plain, but prepared recipes may contain dairy, meat stock, or other animal ingredients. Maize contributes a portion-dependent carbohydrate pattern; frying, grilling, cheese, and sauces alter the finished dish. Coatings and toppings should be assessed separately from the cooked base.
AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.
Dietary compatibility
- VeganNot established
- VegetarianNot established
- PescatarianNot established
- KetoNot established
- PaleoNot established
- Low-carbNot established
- HalalNot established
- KosherNot established
What these diet assessments mean
- Vegan · Not established
- The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
- Vegetarian · Not established
- The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
- Pescatarian · Not established
- The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
- Keto · Not established
- A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
- Paleo · Not established
- The ingredient form and processing have not been assessed against this dietary pattern.
- Low-carb · Not established
- A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
- Halal · Not established
- Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
- Kosher · Not established
- Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.
For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.
AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.
Sources & review
Nutrition reference: UK Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoFID), 2021 — Polenta, hydrated, raw ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.
Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.
The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.
Last recorded verification: .