Polenta is the staple ingredient of the northernmost regions of Italy – Piedmont, Lombardy, Trentino and the Veneto. It was traditionally cooked daily in deep, unlined copper pots over the fire.
The maize is grown in the summer and harvested in October, after which it is dried and milled. This is when the polenta ‘season’ begins, and it lasts until March, after which the flour becomes stale and loses its intense taste of corn.
There are various types of polenta. We always use bramata, which is a blend made from five different varieties of corn, with a coarse texture which goes well with meat and game. In Venice you will find a white polenta served with fish, which has a smoother texture and a less distinctive flavour.
We would never use instant polenta, as it bears no resemblance to what we recognise as polenta. If you don’t have the time to make polenta, it is better not to make it at all.