Last week I wrote about oatmeal, grits, and congee. Today we’re looking at polenta, followed by two porridges that were unfamiliar to me. Let’s dig in.

Polenta

You probably picture polenta made with cornmeal, but it can be considered any coarse grain cooked in boiling water. I read about the history of polenta in this article (though I quibble with the notion that corn may have come from the East before explorers brought it from America). It is considered one of the first cooked foods. The ancient Sumerians made it with millet and rye. In ancient Rome they made a soft porridge called pultem from spelt. When it arrived from the New World in the 16th century, corn (maize) replaced spelt as the main ingredient of polenta. At first it was called “granoturco” (Turkish grain) as anything that came from far away was labelled “Turkish.” Polenta was a staple food in Italy (especially northern Italy) for a long time and farmers ate it for every meal of the day. It may be eaten warm as a porridge or cooled and sliced.

Genfo

This article is an interesting look at the Ethiopian porridge called genfo. Flour (usually barley, but also wheat or corn) is mixed with boiling water and stirred contantly until thick. The stiff porridge is heaped into a dish and a hole made in the middle. This well is filled with clarified butter, spices, and berebere (a mixture of red pepper and spices). Bits of porridge are dipped into the centre using hands or a fork or spoon. Genfo may also be served with scoops of yogurt on the side. “Most Ethiopian restaurants only serve lunch and dinner, so it’s rare to find one that serves genfo. Of the ones serving breakfast, it is still unusual to see porridge on the menu in favor of dishes like ful, chechebsa, and eggs with tomatoes and peppers. This could have something to do with genfo’s laborious and time-intensive cooking process, which cannot be done ahead of time. (Most genfo recipes include a note on the physical strength required to bring the dough together.) The cooking time, which varies based on the quantity being made, involves constant stirring as the flour and water transforms from a paste to the desired sticky mass.” Genfo is similar to a porridge from North African and Arab countries, called asida, which has been dated back to the 13th century. It probably traveled down to Ethiopia. What makes genfo unique is the use of clarified butter and red pepper.

Upma

Upma is a fluffy porridge from South India and Sri Lanka, created by roasting semolina (or coarse rice flour) and mixing it with lentils, onions, and other vegetables that have been fried in oil or ghee, then stirring it all together with boiling water. The various names for upma in different Indian languages all derive from the words salt + flour. I couldn’t find out much about the origins of upma, but here’s a fun anecdote from 2011: Mumbai-born chef Floyd Cardoz won Top Chef Masters by creating upma with semolina and mushrooms in the competition’s finale. And apparently actor-director-producer R. Parthiban caused an uproar in 2017 when he suggested that upma should be India’s national dish. Regardless, as the article concludes, “it’s time the dish got it’s due. #UpmasTimeToShine. After all, soft crumbly upma is the ultimate comfort food. Food that is ideal when you are ill. The one thing you can make in a rush. The first dish cooked in many bachelor kitchens. An easy way to remind yourself of home. Make it with rava, vermicilli or millets: The upma has always been open to interpretation, and there’s no reason why that should change.”

Have I inspired you to make some porridge yet?