Basic Mamaliga Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between polenta and mămăligă? ›

What is the difference between Mămăligă and Italian Polenta? Romanian peasant-style mămăliga is thicker than the regular Italian polenta to the point that you can cut in slices, like bread.

Similar to polenta, Romanian cornmeal porridge, or mămăligă, is an ancient dish that began as peasant food and is now served at fine restaurants. It is a simple combination of cornmeal, water (or stock or milk), salt, and butter, and can be served with sour cream, fresh cheese, and herbs.

Mămăligă is a quintessential staple not just in Romanian cuisine, but in Romanian culture. It's in our DNA. In mine, and now, in hers. Mămăligă, Romania's version of polenta, is a porridge-like staple made of cornmeal.

Polenta is often used to substitute grains like pasta and rice, as it's lower in calories and is a source of complex carbohydrates. Because complex carbohydrates aren't broken down as quickly as simple carbohydrates, it's ideal for individuals watching their blood sugar levels.

: a Romanian dish of cornmeal mush often garnished with cheese or sour cream.

Mămăligă (Romanian pronunciation: [məməˈliɡə];) is a polenta made out of yellow maize flour, traditional in Romania, Moldova, Hungary, Ukraine and among Poles in Ukraine, the Black Sea regions of Georgia and Turkey, and Thessaly and Phthiotis, as well as in Bulgaria (kacamak) and in Greece.

It is often served with a pat of butter, sour cream, or cheeses such as telemea (similar to feta) or cascaval (similar to pecorino). Mămăligă is also a great accompaniment to a meat or vegetable dish.

I've made pretty much the same thing with fufu and mamaliga, the only difference I can see is that it's a white corn meal. The box I bought was also quite fine so there was less stirring than the others. This sort of corn stir is obviously a big staple in other parts of the world.

Guests are invited to start eating when the host or head of the table says “Pofta buna” (Good appetite). Toasting is usually a part of formal and informal lunches and dinners. People may toast and say cheers with the term "Noroc" (Good luck).

Romania. The traditional Romanian breakfast is milk, tea or coffee alongside (toasted) bread with butter or margarine and on top of it, honey or fruit jams or preserves. Sometimes the buttered bread is served savory instead of sweet, in which case the Romanians add cured meats, salami, or cheese.

What is Romanian national food? ›

Sarmale (Romanian Cabbage Rolls) is widely considered to be Romania's national dish. Sarmale is one of the most popular recipes with each region having its own subtly tweaked version with different meat, vegetables and local herbs.

Mămăligă vs Polenta vs Grits

Both mamaliga and polenta traditionally use coarse yellow cornmeal, while grits is made from white nixtamalized corn (”hominy”) which has a finer grind. Therefore, mamaliga and polenta have a rougher texture—even a bit chewy if made very thick—while grits are extremely smooth and creamy.

Polenta is basically cornmeal mush, and it can be made with any kind of cornmeal, ground coarse, medium or fine. (You don't need bags marked “polenta.”) As with most ingredients, though, the better the cornmeal you start with, the better your result in the kitchen.

What makes polenta different from cornmeal? Polenta and cornmeal are almost exactly the same product, except for one thing: the consistency of the grain. Polenta is much more coarsely ground, which makes the end product less mushy, and it has a little more bite to it than cornmeal.