Polenta Ticinese – A Traditional Swiss Specialty

Polenta is a dish of boiled cornmeal that originates from Switzerland and Italy. It may be served as a hot porridge, or it may be allowed to cool and solidify into a loaf that can be baked, fried, or grilled. Polenta is a staple of Northern Italian, and Southern Swiss (canton of Ticino) cuisines. As it is known today, Polenta derives from earlier forms of grain mush (known as puls or pulmentum in Latin) that were commonly eaten since Roman times. Before the introduction of corn (maize) from America in the 16th century, polenta was made from starchy ingredients like farro, chestnut flour, millet, spelt, and chickpeas.

There are literally unlimited possibilities of serving Polenta to your guests - top it with your favorite pasta sauce, as side dish to 'Osso Buco', or grilled vegetables, as cake with raspberry and rhubarb, etc. - there are no limits to your culinary imagination. Add some parmesan cheese to your Polenta along with the butter to enjoy a more creamy polenta and add a few chopped leaves of sage briefly roasted in olive oil to enhance the flavor. Enjoy a true traditional and gluten-free dish from the canton of Ticino.