Polenta is a traditional staple food from northern Italy. It is most frequently made with yellow cornmeal, but traditionally referred to a mixture of cereals and legumes as it existed before corn was brought to Italy from America. Polenta can also be made from white cornmeal, buckwheat or broad beans. Polenta is be made with raw dried corn kernels ground to varying thickness, the coarser the grain, the more rustic it is considered. There also exists pre-cooked cornmeal which dramatically reduces the cooking time from 40 to 50 minutes to 10 minutes. Polenta can be cooked to varying thickness depending on how much water is added. It is also left to solidify, cut into pieces and grilled or deep-fried.