Who doesn’t love Cornmeal? The secret Super Food! Cornmeal-like rice is a ubiquitous
staple that is found in pantries and kitchen cupboards not only in the Caribbean but all over The Americas and Europe
It is made from ground dry corn. from dried It is available in fine, medium, and coarse consistencies, but not as fine as wheat flour in the United States, very finely ground cornmeal is also referred to as corn flour. In the United Kingdom, the word cornflour denotes cornstarch.
In Europe cornmeal is known as polenta, and finely ground corn flour (for making bread or tortillas) is known as maize flour.
Polenta (Italian pronunciation: [poˈlenta]) is a dish of boiled cornmeal in Italian, French, and Swiss cuisine. It may be consumed hot as a porridge or allowed to cool and solidify into a loaf, which is then baked, fried, or grilled.
Various types of cornmeal
Blue cornmeal is light blue or violet in color. It is ground from whole blue corn and has a sweet flavor.
Steel-ground yellow cornmeal, which is common mostly in the United States, and the Caribbean.
Stone-ground cornmeal retains some of the hull and germ, lending a little more flavor and nutrition to recipes. It is more perishable but will store longer if refrigerated.
White cornmeal (mielie-meal), made from white corn, is more common in parts of Africa. It is also popular in the Southern United States for making cornbread.
Cornmeal is a good source of magnesium, selenium, and thiamin.
Some of the other nutrients that are found in cornmeal are as follows:
Protein:
Saturated fat
Monounsaturated fat
Polyunsaturated fat
Carbohydrate fat
Sugar
Fiber
Uses of cornmeal in other countries
In Barbados, it is prepared as Cou-cou – part of the national dish of Barbados, “cou-cou and flying fish”.
In other Caribbean islands, cooked cornmeal is called fungi -fungi/fungee – a cornmeal mush cooked and cooled into a stiff pudding, sometimes eaten with saltfish and/or pepperpot. It is consumed on the island of Curaçao and is part of the national dish of Antigua and Barbuda.
In Haiti, cornmeal is cooked and mixed with various types of peas, bacalao, and herring. It is also served with steamed fish and other meat dishes.
In Jamaica, cornmeal is used to make porridge, dumplings, and festivals ( cornmeal mixed with flour and sugar baking powder then fried is served with fried fish) dessert in Cornmeal pone and part of a main course it is cooked with pumpkin, coconut milk, seasonings and served with various meats and fish dishes.
In East Asia it is made into Tie Bing -(sticking bread) – This product can either be fluffy like a mantou or more flatbread-like. It is traditionally stuck around the outer rim of a large wok while meat or fish is being cooked.
Generally, an alkalizing agent such as baking soda is added to increase the nutrient value.
It is also found in northern China, where it is made as Corn congee -A porridge made from plain cornmeal. It is normally thinner than grits or polenta and is often eaten with Chinese pickles.
Wo tou -which is shaped like a hollow cone, this cornbread looks like a bird’s nest, after which it is named. It is commonly eaten in northern China and may contain dried jujubes and other flavoring agents.
Turn Cornmeal with pumpkin recipe
- 6 1/2 cup(s) water
- 2 cups fresh Coconut Milk
- 1/4 cup(s) Margarine
- 1 cup(s) pumpkin, diced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 stalk(s) escallion, chopped
- 1 sprig(s) thyme
- 1 teaspoon(s) Green Scotch Bonnet Hot Pepper Sauce
- 3 1/2 cup(s) Cornmeal
- 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
- 1/2 teaspoon(s) black pepper
Turn cornmeal with pumpkin method
- Pour 4 cups water into a pot and put to boil.
- Add Coconut Milk And Margarine, pumpkin, onion, scallion, thyme, and hot pepper sauce and mix well.
- Combine cornmeal, salt, and black pepper. Pour on the remaining water and mix well.
- Scrape the cornmeal mixture into the boiling liquid and cook stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Cook for about twenty-five minutes.
- Spoon mixture into molds and allow to set.
Serve: The molded pumpkin may be served as is, or may be served grilled. Serve with Roasted Fish and Sauteed Vegetables.
