 | Legend tells that the origin of this cereal comes from San Carlo Borromeo who made it edible, as it is explicitly conferred by the dialect term, ie "carlun".
In fact, its appearance was in the Seventeenth century, after the discovery of America and only toward the end of the Eighteenth century arrives to the Lower Valtellina.
Before the polenta was composed by flour and millet, namely buckwheat polenta, called "polenta nigra". In the 800 comes in our valleys, at first mixed with millet and buckwheat, then exclusively yellow "de turkai". Sad times for the tables. In memory of elderly people polenta was eaten with one hand, meaning without accompaniment.
It is recalled that only for the head of the family were reserved pork sausages products. To the others was only allowed to dip a mouthful of polenta in the cooking broth. The meat was very poor and came to the table only on special holidays or when there was some cow on the alp. The head, intestines, tendons, everything was consumed.
The polenta was eaten three times a day and due to lack of proteins the population of our valley was affected by the disease known as "goitre". And only in recent decades, this plague has been eradicated with a cuisine including food richer of meat.
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Polenta - Traditional recipe recommended by the Mill of Dosso (for 6 persons)
Ingredients: 500 gr. of yellow corn flour for polenta
2 liters of water
10-20 gr. coarse salt
In a copper pot pour water and salt, as it is near to boil (be careful because when it boils it easier to have lumps) pour slowly the flour in small handfuls, blending with a whisk to amalgamate it.
After pouring all the flour the mixture becomes consistent. Keep on hand another pot with boiling water in reserve and in the case of hardening add it. Stiffen it with fire and soften it with water by turning a wooden spoon or spatula in a clockwise direction at short intervals. The polenta should cook for about an hour puffing. It will be ready when it come off easily from the pot. At this point, pour it evenly on the large wooden board called "basla" to be used according to the recipe.
It is possible to have a variant with milk instead of water (1 liter and half + half), which makes it extremely tasteful.
Nutritional values for one portion:
301 calories - 7.46 proteins - 2.36 lipids - 42,586 carbohydrates - dietary fibers 2.83 - 0 mg cholesterol.
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Pulenta cunscia
Etymology and recipe
Interest, curiosity and controversy to call this dish: polenta uncia or cunscia? On my part I would write and give an answer to this question, without touching the local dialect, that each of us speaks and transmits.
I permit myself, to talk about his preparation, perhaps prescribed for the first time in the Lower Valtellina, with the advent of maize at the beginning of the Nineteenth century.
Everyone knows that this is a classic and normal yellow maize polenta, which, still smoking, is divided into slices in a bowl, covered in layers with local cheeses that, merging, create a filament which prepare the polenta.
Just this second operation, of "messing up", was noticed by our elders, and entered in the repertory of spoken slang by calling this food “pulenta cunscia” (messed up polenta).
If we want, we find the same methods in the customs of the country. In fact people used to say: "Varda quel lì cume le cunsciaa!" (Look how that guy is messed up!). In the positive sense of the word, or to say that was in a sorry state. The same was for the tanning of leather, the woman's hairstyle, to which was also reserved the term “el cunscià” (or darning and preparing socks and pants for the family).
In typical dish, it is true, something of the "unc" (grease) there is! Are butter, onion and sage to give taste and aroma to the food so prepared.
Greased or messed up?
I leave to my friends the choice on how to call and taste it.
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Polenta Taragna
Milled at the MILL OF DOSSO
Recipe for 6 people
3 liters of water (approximately)
800 gr. yellow corn flour
"Red Valtellina" ®
400 gr. of Bitto fresh cheese
100 gr. of the Casera seasoned
cheese/150 gr. butter
40 gr. of coarse salt, to taste an exquisite
POLENTA TARAGNA
Bring almost to a boil water in a copper pot,
mix and grind the flour and turn the mixtur
e on a slow wood fire.
Follow the same method with the gas.
Bake for about 50 minutes then add butter
pieces until the right pouring.
At this point, add cheese in small pieces
mixing 3 '/ 5' minutes to serve a warm
and fragrant tasty dish.
There are variants with a third of buckwheat
flour (fraina). In this case you may increase
in abundance butter and cheese
to a mixture extremely absorbent.
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