Polenta

Sweet or salty? In the oven, in a pot or on the grill? As a side dish or even a main course? Polenta can have a thousand faces and has a wide variety of culinary combinations. She is a good friend of simple home-made meals, and she also finds her place in haute cuisine.

Polenta is a versatile dish that has fascinated and marked generations for generations, so it justifiably evokes a sense of homeliness and tradition. In the Slovenian tradition, it is best known as a faithful companion to homemade juicy goulash or as an excellent breakfast combined with a cup of milk and a few teaspoons of sugar.But the long journey that polenta has made to our plates has imprinted invaluable flavors from all over the world on it. Did you know that polenta came to our continent with Christopher Columbus? She came from the Iberian Peninsula via France to northern Italy, then to our places and later on to the Balkans.

From the beginning, it was considered the food of ordinary people and did not adhere too well. It was only with population growth in the 18th century that maize production and consequently polenta preparation increased significantly.

As much as half a century of polenta tradition

In our country, polenta has a relatively short history, as it appeared 50 years ago, when we got a special line of instant polenta on the shelves. Thus, many modern households at the time enjoyed the quick preparation of this wholesome dish. The preparation of classic polenta is quite time-consuming, as it takes a long time to cook on a low heat and in an uncovered pot or heavy shrimp. At least half an hour (in certain recipes even 45 minutes or more) with constant stirring with a wooden cooker until a smooth and evenly cooked mixture is formed.

It is because of this long procedure that instant polenta impressed so quickly 50 years ago and continues its great culinary march in modern cuisine. Instant polenta is ready in just a few minutes.

Preparing polenta is really simple. To really succeed, however, follow our instructions.

Polenta can be cooked soft or thick. In a harder form, it was sometimes just turned over on a wooden base and placed cut into pieces on the table so that everyone could serve themselves.

The recognizable taste can always be improved with zabela. You can add a little butter or oil to boiling water, and add butter, cream, bacon, sausage, prosciutto, minced lard, cracklings or fried onions to the cooked polenta.

For some, fresh or sour milk goes well with polenta, cheese or eggs are added to it, and when baked, it is often suitable as a tasty side dish to meat, fish and vegetable dishes.

However, polenta should not be taken only as a side dish, as it can also be prepared as a snack, main course and even a dessert. Find recipes for crispy or toasted polenta sticks, make a polenta pizza, sweeten yourself with a lemon cake with polenta, or treat yourself to polenta ice cream as a refreshing dessert on hot summer days.

The foundation of a quality life is wholesome food that supplies the body with all the vital nutrients and protective substances. Cereals play an important role here, as they contain vegetable proteins, very little fat, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber in addition to complex carbohydrates - all in an ideal ratio.

A bowl of golden yellow polenta is a versatile low-fat dish and easily digestible. It does not contain any chemical additives or preservatives, as everything is 100% natural.

The photos used in this article are taken from https://www.google.com/