---
title: Is Dry Polenta the Same As Cornmeal?
date: 2013-07-21T17:34:53Z
modified: 2017-05-17T04:09:23Z
permalink: "https://elizabethyarnell.com/is-dry-polenta-the-same-as-cornmeal/"
type: post
status: publish
excerpt: ""
wpid: 3377
categories:
  - Glorious One-Pot Meals
tags:
  - cornmeal vs polenta
  - Glorious One-Pot Meals
  - polenta
author: Elizabeth
---

_Reader question: I have a copy of your [Glorious One-Pot Meals cookbook](http://www.gloriousonepotmeals.com "Glorious One-Pot Meals healthy recipes cookbook"). I was wondering iChat you mean by dry [polenta](http://amzn.to/2pSnUzr) in some of our recipes? Do you mean [cornmeal](http://amzn.to/2roWKAg)? Thank you. Love your cookbook by the way. I just got it on Monday and have already tried 3 recipes._ 
_~Jennie D., Bradford, On. Canada_

![dry polenta](http://trialx.com/g/Polenta-3.jpg)

Dry polenta.Hi Jennie. Thanks so much for writing. I’m thrilled to hear you are enjoying GOPMs! This is a great question.

About [polenta](http://amzn.to/2pSnUzr): Honestly, I had never heard of “polenta” before spending a year in Italy in 1989. Italians traditionally slow-[cook polenta](http://trialx.com/i/2012/06/29/polenta-step-by-step-preparation-guide/ "how to cook polenta") on the stovetop with water or stock in a cast iron pot for a long time to create a porridge consistency, and then serve it topped with freshly grated Parmesano Romano. Lately, the trend is to shape the porridge into patties to fry in olive oil.

In [Glorious One-Pot Meals](http://www.gloriousonepotmeals.com "Glorious One-Pot Meals cookbook polenta recipes"), I use dry [polenta](http://amzn.to/2pSnUzr) that I find either in the bulk food bins at a natural grocers, or in a box near the rice in the regular grocery store. You can find it on Amazon, too. I do not use the prepared polenta that comes in a refrigerated tube because they contain additional ingredients that I may not want in my dinner.

I believe [the difference between “polenta” and “cornmeal” ](http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/282925 "difference between cornmeal and polenta")is in the grind of the corn. Personally, I like the polenta in a Glorious One-Pot Meal to be from a course-grind rather than a fine grind because the finer the grind, the mushier the result, and I prefer a more toothsome polenta.