Wikipedia:
Cornmeal is a meal (coarse flour) ground from dried maize or American corn. It is a common staple food, and is ground to fine, medium, and coarse consistencies, but not as fine as wheat flour. In the United States, very finely ground cornmeal is also referred to as cornflour. However, the word cornflour denotes cornstarch in the United Kingdom.
History
The exact origins of cornmeal maize are uncertain. Some assert a Native American provenance for corn cultivation, whereas others indicate that it was likely introduced to Europe during the Arab occupation of Spain. In Italy, the traditional name for corn (granturco) connotes an Eastern, Turkish point of origin.
Types
There are different types of cornmeal.
Steel ground yellow cornmeal, which is common mostly in the United States, has the husk and germ of the maize kernel almost completely removed. It is conserved almost indefinitely if stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Stone-ground cornmeal retains some of the hull and germ, lending a little more flavor and nutrition to recipes. It is more perishable, but will store longer if refrigerated. However, it too can have a shelf life of many months if kept in a reasonably cool place.
White cornmeal (mielie-meal), made from white corn, is more common in parts of Africa. It is also popular in the Southern United States for making cornbread.
Blue cornmeal is light blue or violet in color. It ground from whole blue corn and has a sweet flavor. The cornmeal consists of dried corn kernels that have been ground into a fine or medium texture.
Regional usages
Equatorial Africa
Nshima or bwali - ZambiaNsima - MalawiNomadi - Democratic Republic of the CongoSadza - ZimbabweUgali - Great Lakes (sima and posho in Uganda)Mielie-meal or mealie pap - Southern AfricaRecipes that may use cornmeal as an additional ingredient are fufu (foufou) in Central and West Africa. Indian Ocean
Poudine maïs - Mauritius Horn of Africa
Sorr - SomaliaCornmeal is also often used as an additional ingredient in the preparation of injera or lahoh, flatbread that is traditionally eaten in the countries of the Horn of Africa (Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia) and nearby Yemen. Europe
G'omi, tchvishtari, mchadi (Georgian: ღომი) - Georgia (g'omi is similar to polenta, tshvishtari - cheese cornbread, mtchadi - cornbread)Kachamak (качамак) - Macedonia, Bulgaria and SerbiaMălai - Romania (the cornmeal itself; prepared as mămăligă)Farina di granturco - Italy (not the same as farina, which is made from wheat)Polenta - southern Europe, especially ItalyArapash or harapash - Albania (similar to the Romanian style but often combined with lamb organs, or/and feta cheese South Asia
Makki di roti - a traditional Punjabi bread often eaten with saag in Punjab province of northern India and eastern Pakistan East Asia
Wo tou (窩頭 nest head) - Shaped like a hollow cone, this cornbread looks like a bird's nest, for which it is named. It is commonly eaten in northern China, and may contain dried jujubes and other flavoring agents.Tie Bing (貼餅 sticking bread) - This product can either be fluffy like a mantou or more flatbread-like. It is traditionally stuck around the outer rim of a large wok while meat or fish is being cooked. Generally, an alkalizing agent such as baking soda is added to increase the nutrient value. It is also found in northern China.Corn congee (棒子麵粥) - A porridge made from plain cornmeal. It is normally thinner than grits or polenta and is often eaten with Chinese pickles. Mesoamerica and South America
Masa - nixtamalized corn used for making tortillas, arepas and tamales in Mexico, Central America, and South AmericaFubá - BrazilPolenta - a typical dish in many South American countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, Venezuela and Uruguay Caribbean
Cou-cou is part of the national dish of Barbados, "cou-cou and flying fish".Funchi is a cornmeal mush cooked and cooled into a stiff pudding, sometimes eaten with saltfish and/or pepperpot, consumed on the island of Curaçao and part of the national dish of Antigua and Barbuda. North America
Made into bread, as in cornbread, spoonbread, jonnycakes, hushpuppies, or corn frittersAs a porridge, such as cornmeal mush, which is often then sliced and grilledCheese curl-type snack foods, such as Cheezies and CheetosIn corn chips such as Fritos, but not corn tortillas or tortilla chips, which are made from nixtamalized maize flourAs breading for fried or baked foods, such as fried fishAs a batter for a fried food, such as corndogsAs a release agent to prevent breads and pizza from sticking to their pans when bakingAs a breakfast cereal ingredient
