Corn meal is an excellent grain source for making all kinds of wonderful dishes. The use of corn, corn meal and corn flour comes to us from Native Americans, and for centuries, certain recipes from Mexico were our first association with corn meal. Corn tortillas use a corn meal base and a little water. Either patted or rolled into rounds and lightly cooked on both sides, numerous things can be made from these tortillas, including tacos, enchiladas, flautas, tacquitos, and even corn meal quesadillas.

Corn meal is also commonly used as a hot breakfast cereal, and many enjoy hot corn meal mush topped with a little bit of molasses. Alternately, grits is also made from coarser ground corn, and can be eaten as porridge, or fried and topped with gravy.

Corn meal is also an essential ingredient in corn bread or corn muffins, which can be made in either sweet or savory versions. Cornmeal blueberry muffins are an excellent breakfast starter, and savory cornmeal with sage and onion can be used as a base for homemade stuffing for poultry.

In Italy, corn meal porridge is made in flat sheets, or sold in tubes as polenta. Polenta is a wonderful alternative to pasta. It can served as the base of many a terrific sauce or meat dish. Polenta may also be fried and eaten in squares, or served as a breakfast cereal.

Some pizzas are also dusted with cornmeal on the bottom instead of wheat flour, adding a little crunch to the crust when it is baked. Romanians serve a dish quite similar to polenta called mamaliga. It’s often served with cheese or sour cream on the side.

Some interesting modern takes on corn meal incorporate Mexican flavors into casserole form. For example, tamale pie has a ground beef or shredded chicken base that is covered with about an inch (2.54 cm) layer of cooked corn meal, and then baked.

Many African recipes use cornmeal as a starch or main part of a meal. In Zambia, nshima, cooked cornmeal, is a very thick version of the US corn meal, and is usually severed with meat or nuts, and a vegetable. Ugali, similar to polenta is common in West Africa. It is rolled into a ball and dipped into gravies or stews.

A number of countries integrate corn into regional dishes, though in countries outside of the Americas, these dishes were not common until corn was imported in the 17th century or later. Now it’s usual to find corn meal used in African, Middle Eastern, and European Cuisine. Of course the oldest recipes for corn meal will always date to Native American sources.