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The Real Difference Between Polenta, Grits, and Cornmeal, According to Experts
Understanding the differences between polenta, grits, and cornmeal—and how best to use them—is complex and interesting, and we’ll get to that! But there’s also a short answer, so let’s start there and work backward.
Cornmeal, grits, and polenta are all terms that describe ground, dried field corn (which is different from sweet summer corn that we eat on the cob). Depending on the type of field corn (usually dent or flint), how finely or coarsely it’s ground, and how it's cooked and served, it can become different things: Fine and medium cornmeal are often used for cornbread, muffins, and hush puppies; more coarsely ground cornmeal can be used to make dishes like grits and polenta. On a basic level, that's it.
But beyond those physical differences, much of what separates cornmeal, grits, and polenta comes down to how and where they’re used. In many cases, the products themselves are nearly identical—what differs most is the cultural tradition they belong to and the way they’re prepared and served.
Let’s dig a little deeper. There are small, artisanal producers that grind corn with nuanced flavors from regional and heirloom corn varieties. And there are large-scale and industrial producers whose cornmeal, polenta, and grits are familiar grocery store staples. Here’s the catch: There are no labeling standards requiring packages to list the corn’s origin or processing method.
Smaller producers might proudly list those details as well as the coarseness of the grind, and whether it’s stoneground; whereas grocery store offerings might be generically labeled ‘polenta’ or ‘grits’ with no further detail. If there’s a silver lining to these labeling vagueries, it may be to underscore the interchangeability of these three products in the kitchen.
In our quest to learn all about cornmeal, grits, and polenta, we spoke with Virginia Willis, chef, cookbook author, and Southern foodways expert. She recalled an old joke that goes back to when Italian polenta first made a big splash on the American specialty food and restaurant scene. The opening goes, “What’s the difference between a bag of grits and a bag of polenta?” The punchline: “About $15.”
In all seriousness though, Willis, along with other experts we reached out to—including grain authorities Glenn Roberts and Claire Reynolds from Anson Mills, an artisan mill in Columbia, South Carolina specializing in heirloom corn and other grains, as well as Bob’s Red Mill’s Culinary Content Specialist, Sarena Shasteen—all encouraged cooks to seek out and use the specific product called for in a recipe to achieve optimal results.
Still, they recognized the need to be resourceful in the kitchen and at the grocery store. As Shasteen mentioned in an email, “You can generally substitute polenta, grits, and cornmeal, keeping in mind the differences in texture.” You may also need to adjust cooking time and liquid amounts, per Shasteen, as different grinds cook at different rates and absorb liquid differently.
Further underscoring this point, Serious Eats’s editorial director Daniel writes about polenta, “Polenta doesn't have to be made with a product that says ‘polenta’ on the package. There's nothing wrong with using a product designed exclusively for polenta, but you can just as easily use any medium- or coarse-ground cornmeal.” Bottom line: There is plenty of room for interchangeability.
As much as these products overlap, there are some details worth discussing that can help us differentiate them.
What Kind of Corn Is Used to Make Cornmeal, Polenta, and Grits?
The type of field corn used for cornmeal and grits is dent corn, which is relatively soft and starchy, and gets its name from the little dent at the top of the kernel. True Italian polenta, on the other hand, comes from flint corn, so called for being as hard as flint. A particular variety of flint corn, called "otto file" (which describes the "eight rows" of kernels on each cob), is often the corn of choice for Italian polenta. That said, some American companies sell polenta made from corn grown in the US that may or may not have Italian lineage—considering the aforementioned package label vagueries, there’s often no easy way to know.
You can find various kinds of both dent and flint corn grown and milled by small farms that focus on cultivating and preserving regional and heirloom varieties, prized for their depth of flavor and terroir (a term that refers to an agricultural product’s distinct local characteristics).
Some producers, like Anson Mills in the US, specialize in freshly milled grains and have gained a following among home cooks and chefs for their attention to historical varieties and flavor. More widely available options include brands like Bob’s Red Mill, which sources US-grown corn cultivated without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, according to Shasteen. At the other end of the spectrum are large-scale commercial producers whose sourcing practices are less transparent.
The Importance of the Grind
Aside from the type of corn used, one of the primary factors that can distinguish cornmeal, polenta, and grits from each other is the grind itself.
Industrial vs. Stoneground: Large commercial brands typically use metal rollers or grinders to mill corn. Most of the hull and the germ are removed from the kernels in this process, which gives them a long shelf life, and a texture that is fairly uniform. When corn is stoneground, it’s literally ground between stones. Some/much of the hull and germ remain intact, meaning more textural variation and deeper flavor. It also produces a wider range of particles, some larger, some finer, resulting in a more varied final texture.
Grind size: Whether it’s ground industrially or stoneground, corn can be ground to different sizes. Finer cornmeal is often used to make more delicate baked goods, while more coarsely ground cornmeal is well suited for hearty bowls of grits or polenta. Keep in mind that the size of the grind also indicates how fast it will absorb liquid and cook, with finer grinds absorbing water more quickly.
A Note on Instant Polenta and Grits
Much of the polenta and grits on the shelves in grocery stores today are instant or quick-cooking. Instant products are typically finely ground corn that’s been cooked, dried, and then ground again. Add these grains to hot liquid, stir very briefly, and they’re done. But that time savings comes at the expense of flavor and texture. Willis likens instant grits to a “pot of starch with no flavor.” As she puts it, “Instant grits are zombie grits. They have no soul.” The same is true of polenta.
Willis recommends choosing the longest cooking product available—in the world of grocery store grits, quick-cook is better than instant, and old-fashioned is better than quick-cook. This means that if you're faced with only instant or quick-cook polenta or grits alongside medium or coarse cornmeal and want to make polenta or grits, you're often better off getting the coarse cornmeal and skipping the others, even if they have the more appropriate name on the bag.
Cornmeal, Polenta, and Grits: A Closer Look
Cornmeal
This is the broadest and hardest to define of all the terms, because "cornmeal" simply describes a dried meal made from corn. Cornmeal can be ground to any size, can be made from many different types of corn, and can be used for any imaginable purpose. In fact, one can correctly consider polenta and grits to be types of cornmeal (in that they are meals made from corn). Because it's such an all-encompassing term, it's important to understand that not all types of cornmeal are appropriate for all uses.
Most products sold as "cornmeal" are a fine- to medium-grind, and can be used to make cornbread, corn muffins, and hush puppies, to “bread” fish and seafood for frying, and to dust a pizza pan so the crust doesn't stick. Some producers, including Bob’s Red Mill, also make coarse-ground cornmeal, which can work well as a stand-in for polenta and grits. Depending on how it’s cooked and served, that same coarse cornmeal might be called polenta in one kitchen and grits in another.
Polenta
Most strongly associated with the cooking of northern Italy, polenta is sort of an Italian cousin to grits. Polenta dates back to ancient Roman times and was originally a term for mush or porridge made from various grains cooked with water. Before corn made its way to Italy from the New World in the 1500s, grains ranging from buckwheat to fava beans were the norm. Eventually, corn became the preferred grain for polenta, and now the dish is nearly synonymous with corn.
While much less common, you can still sometimes find "taragna" or "nera" polenta, which is a mix of corn polenta and buckwheat flour that hails from the Italian Alpine valleys north of Brescia and Bergamo. Whether it has authentic Italian lineage or not, polenta today is typically medium- or coarsely-ground corn with a texture similar to grits that may or may not be stoneground. Stoneground polenta cooks up into a porridge with a more varied texture compared to polenta ground to a more consistent size; many prize the texture of stoneground, but it's ultimately a question of personal preference.
Polenta is best when slowly cooked in liquid (usually water or broth) over low heat. As it cooks, the grains swell and release their starches, becoming thick and creamy. Polenta can be a main course, often topped with braised meats or melted cheese, or a side dish, enriched with butter and/or cheese stirred in at the end of cooking. Polenta can also be cooled and set, then later sliced, crisped (usually grilled or fried), and topped with cheeses, olives, fresh herbs—almost like toast. Or try Virginia Willis’s favorite way: Cut firm polenta into cubes, then fry them and use them as croutons, a go-to method Willis learned in Tuscany from cookbook author and food expert Paula Lambert.
Pre-cooked polenta is also sold in tubes at the grocery store, sometimes refrigerated, sometimes shelf-stable. Not all cooks like its flavor or texture, but in a pinch it can be cut up and fried, or even made soft and creamy again by simmering in liquid, and then mashing it thoroughly to remove lumps.
Grits
Grits refers to corn that's been coarsely ground for the specific purpose of making the Southern dish of the same name. At the store, look for the longest-cooking grits available, and simmer them with water, or possibly stock (shrimp stock is a nice addition if you’re making shrimp and grits).
Cooking over low heat will help develop the best texture, giving the grits plenty of time to fully absorb water, hydrate, and slowly release their starches for a creamy, corn-forward result. Grits can be a simple breakfast side dish topped with just salt, pepper, and a pat of butter (Sarena Shasteen’s favorite), as the base for Lowcountry seafood stews like shrimp and grits, or reimagined in new ways (Virginia Willis uses it as the topping on her Southern-style shepherd’s pie).
Sometimes grits are sold as "hominy" grits, another term that can add considerable confusion. Traditionally, hominy grits differ from other grits in that the dried corn they’re made from has been soaked and simmered in an alkaline solution to remove their hulls. The process is called nixtamalization, and it makes some of the nutrients in the corn easier for our bodies to absorb. This resulting corn is called hominy, and it is dried and ground to make hominy grits.
Watch out, though, because some products that are sold as "hominy" grits are made with regular dried corn and not nixtamalized corn (once again, we can thank a lack of labeling regulations for this confusion). You can identify whether the corn in "hominy" grits has actually been nixtamalized or not from the ingredient list—it should include some type of alkaline agent like calcium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide (you may also see common names for these alkalis like "lime" or "cal").
Masa Harina
As long as we're discussing hominy and nixtamalization, it's worth briefly acknowledging another nixtamalized corn flour on market shelves: masa harina. Similar to the hominy mentioned above, the corn for masa harina is soaked and simmered in alkalized water before being ground into a dough called masa and then dried to make masa harina. It's shelf-stable and can easily be reconstituted and used just like fresh masa to make Mesoamerican foods like tortillas, tamales, and so much more.
