( Update: 14/08/2018 )
Cornmeal has long been used for baked goods and giving fried foods crunch and texture. Polenta may feel like a less-familiar newcomer, not surprisingly causing some confusion. What's the difference between these two cornmeal products?
Polenta is also made from corn, but is it really just cornmeal labeled differently and sold at a higher price? Can the two be used interchangeably? Read on to find out!
Cornmeal
Cornmeal is made by grinding dried corn kernels into one of three textures: fine, medium, and coarse. The traditional way of making cornmeal was through stone-grinding, which retains some of the hull and germ of the kernels. This makes the cornmeal more nutritious but also more perishable because of the higher fat content. The more modern way of grinding corn is through steel rollers, which remove most of the husk and germ.
Besides the difference in grinds, cornmeal can be made from blue, white, or yellow corn. Stone-ground cornmeal is labeled as such or can also be called "water ground," and you can usually assume unlabeled cornmeal is made through the steel roller process. If the package isn't labeled with the coarseness of the grind, it's probably medium.
Finely ground cornmeal is sometimes labeled as corn flour, but British recipes that call for "cornflour" actually refer to cornstarch, which is not milled from the whole corn kernel. Masa harina is cornmeal made from corn kernels that have been cooked in limewater first.
Using Cornmeal
While cornmeal is the traditional ingredient in cornbread, it is also used for texture and sweetness in cookies and other breads. It is also often used to dust baking surfaces for things like pizza to prevent the dough from sticking, and can also be used as a thickener for soups and chilis.
If a recipe does not specify the grind of cornmeal to use, your best bet is usually to get a medium-grind cornmeal.
Cornmeal has long been used for baked goods and giving fried foods crunch and texture. Polenta may feel like a less-familiar newcomer, not surprisingly causing some confusion. What's the difference between these two cornmeal products?
Polenta is also made from corn, but is it really just cornmeal labeled differently and sold at a higher price? Can the two be used interchangeably? Read on to find out!
Cornmeal
Cornmeal is made by grinding dried corn kernels into one of three textures: fine, medium, and coarse. The traditional way of making cornmeal was through stone-grinding, which retains some of the hull and germ of the kernels. This makes the cornmeal more nutritious but also more perishable because of the higher fat content. The more modern way of grinding corn is through steel rollers, which remove most of the husk and germ.
Besides the difference in grinds, cornmeal can be made from blue, white, or yellow corn. Stone-ground cornmeal is labeled as such or can also be called "water ground," and you can usually assume unlabeled cornmeal is made through the steel roller process. If the package isn't labeled with the coarseness of the grind, it's probably medium.
Finely ground cornmeal is sometimes labeled as corn flour, but British recipes that call for "cornflour" actually refer to cornstarch, which is not milled from the whole corn kernel. Masa harina is cornmeal made from corn kernels that have been cooked in limewater first.
Using Cornmeal
While cornmeal is the traditional ingredient in cornbread, it is also used for texture and sweetness in cookies and other breads. It is also often used to dust baking surfaces for things like pizza to prevent the dough from sticking, and can also be used as a thickener for soups and chilis.
If a recipe does not specify the grind of cornmeal to use, your best bet is usually to get a medium-grind cornmeal.
Online: 53
Visit counter : 2921750
Copyright © 2012 by hxcoexp.com - All right reserved
Designed by OSG.VN
