Known in Northern Italy as “farmers food”, polenta taragna balances the sweetness of corn with the earthy complexity of buckwheat resulting in a distinctive heartier flavor and denser, creamier texture than pure corn polenta. Because we use hulled buckwheat groats in our milling, our taragna produces a golden polenta free of the muddy color non-hulled buckwheat produces.
Polenta taragna originated in the mountains of Italy’s Lombardy region. Prior to corn’s arrival in Europe, high protein polentas were made with grains and seeds other than corn, such as indigenous buckwheat. The name “taragna” derives from the name for the wooden stick traditionally used to stir the polenta while cooking.
Use polenta taragna in any savory recipe calling for polenta, particularly those that play up to buckwheat’s nutty flavor.