Southern and Italian Specialists Clarify the Distinction

In the case of merchandise constituted of globally used, versatile staple meals, you may all the time rely on one factor: robust and sometimes contradictory opinions! 

Floor, dried corn—a staple product that spans continents—is not any exception. Each tradition has its personal method of utilizing corn merchandise, and it might even differ from kitchen to kitchen. So I went to the consultants, from millers to Italian and Southern cooks, to supply some grains of reality: What’s the distinction between grits and polenta?

The Distinction Between Grits and Polenta

Polenta originated in Italy. The proprietor of famed heirloom grains model Anson Mills, Glenn Roberts, shares “[Polenta] is very numerous in Italy; there’s an enormous checklist of crops within the maize canon that establish as polenta,” however what they’ve in frequent is that they’re primarily sorts of flint corn, a range that’s, like its title suggests, very onerous and fewer starchy than different varieties. 

Polenta in the USA will not be made with flint corn since this selection is not available stateside. As a substitute, dent corn, a barely softer and starchier selection, is mostly used within the American South to make each polenta and grits. As an example, Brad Kelly, VP of Operations at Madison, Georgia’s Farmview Market solely makes use of Hickory King dent corn for his grits.

The dimensions of the bottom corn is one other differentiator. Drew Belline, VP of Culinary for legendary chef Ford Fry’s Rocket Farm Eating places, explains, “Polenta is often milled a number of instances, which produces a finer product.”

Piero Premoli, government chef and associate of Pricci in Atlanta echoes this. “True polenta is double-milled and extra refined,” whereas true grits are handed by means of the mill solely as soon as for a coarser product.”

You may ponder whether the colour of the corn makes a distinction, but it surely’s not a tough and quick indicator. Polenta is often yellow, however grits could be white, yellow, or each. Miller Joann Fain Tarpley of Nora Mill Granary in Helen, Georgia makes use of a mix of white and yellow corn for the mill’s grits. 

How Do These Variations Have an effect on Cooking?

In line with Roberts, each polenta and grits must be cooked low and sluggish, by no means delivered to a boil, for the perfect taste and aroma. Soaking can minimize down on cooking time, however in his expertise, medium-round grits like these from Quaker Oats take about 45 minutes; par-cooked fast grits take 10 to fifteen minutes. Premoli says the cooking time is identical for polenta.

Essentially the most important factor to remember, says Belline, is the coarseness of the grind. “That’s what’s actually going to have an effect on the quantity of liquid, temperature for cooking, and most significantly, the period of time you will cook dinner them.” A coarser product would require an extended cooking time to turn into tender.

When To Use Grits vs. Polenta

“I really like to make use of polenta in winter for heartier dishes, like meat ragus and braises,” Belline shares. General, polenta is mostly served as a dinner accompaniment.

Grits are extra well-liked with Southern-style breakfasts. Greg Johnsman, proprietor of Marsh Hen Mill, says, “[Grits] can stand alone with butter or salt, [or] fried into grit muffins… However shrimp and grits is the go-to in [the South Carolina] Lowcountry.” 

Whereas polenta and grits have comparable preparations, “some individuals take into account it heresy to make use of them interchangeably!” says Roberts. Premoli’s certainly one of them, “as a consequence of variances in texture.” Belline says they are often swapped, however Johnsman cautions it’s not an even trade. “It may be onerous to move polenta as grits and grits as polenta…However they can be substituted if you must.”

The Greatest Approach To Retailer Grits and Polenta

Artisan grits and polenta are extra perishable than industrial manufacturers, however Fain Tarpley’s recommendation applies to all: “If not utilizing them within the close to future, they need to be saved in hermetic containers, ideally within the fridge or freezer. This helps keep vitamins and retains them tremendous contemporary.”

When you love both of those grains passionately, the cooks say it’s properly value it to hunt out heirloom grains from small mills. Belline advises, “All grits and polenta from the shop are not the identical. Once you supply ‘the good things,’ it’s about tasting the essence of the corn,” whether or not you’re having grits with a Southern breakfast or polenta with an Italian dinner.