[poh-len-tuh] 
| (esp. in Italian cooking) a thick mush of cornmeal. |
| po·len·ta (pō-lěn'tə) n. A thick mush made of cornmeal boiled in water or stock. [Italian, from Latin, crushed grain, barley meal.] |
polenta
a porridge or mush usually made of ground corn (maize) cooked in salted water. Cheese and butter or oil are often added. Polenta can be eaten hot or cold as a porridge; or it can be cooled until firm, cut into shapes, and then baked, toasted, panfried, or deep-fried. It is a traditional food of northern Italy, especially the Piedmont region, and of Corsica, where chestnut flour is used in place of cornmeal. Polenta is also sometimes made from barley meal
Learn more about polenta with a free trial on Britannica.com.