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'''Mămăligă''' ({{IPA|/mə.mə'li.gə/}}, [[cornmeal]] mush) is a [[Romania|Romanian]] dish made out of yellow [[maize]]. It is better known to the rest of the world in its [[Italian language|Italian]] form, [[polenta]].<!--[[Image:Mamaliga.jpg|thumb|Mămăligă|200px|right|Mămăligă]]-->
'''Mămăligă''' ({{IPA|/mə.mə'li.gə/}}, [[cornmeal]] mush) is a traditional [[Romania|Romanian]] dish made out of yellow [[maize]]. It is better known to the rest of the world in its [[Italian language|Italian]] form, [[polenta]]. Historically a peasant food, it was often used as a substitute for bread or even as a [[staple food]] in the poor rural areas. However, in the last decades it has emerged as an upscale dish available in the finest restaurants.


''Mămăligă'' is one of the main traditional dishes of [[Romania]]. Historically a [[peasant food]], it was often used as a substitute for bread or even as a [[staple food]] in the poor rural areas. However, in the last decades it has emerged as an upscale dish available in the finest restaurants.
Traditionally, ''mămăligă'' is cooked by boiling water, salt and cornmeal in a special-shaped [[cast iron]] pot called ''ceaun''. When cooked peasant-style and used as a bread substitute, ''mămăligă'' is supposed to be much thicker than the regular Italian polenta to the point that it can be cut in slices, like bread. When cooked for other purposes, ''mămăligă'' can be much softer, sometimes almost to the consistency of [[porridge]].


Traditionally, ''mămăligă'' is cooked by boiling water, salt and cornmeal in a special-shaped [[cast iron]] pot called ''ceaun''. When cooked peasant-style and used as a bread substitute, Romanian ''mămăligă'' is supposed to be much thicker than the regular Italian polenta to the point that it can be cut in slices, like bread. When cooked for other purposes, ''mămăligă'' can be much softer, sometimes almost to the consistency of [[porridge]].
''Mămăligă'' is often served with [[sour cream]] and [[cheese]] on the side (''mămăligă cu brânză şi smântână'') or crushed in a bowl of hot milk (''mămăligă cu lapte''). Sometimes slices of ''mămăligă'' are pan-fried in oil or in lard, the result being a sort of [[corn pone]]s.


''Mămăligă'' is often served with sour cream and cheese on the side (''mămăligă cu brânză şi smântână'') or crushed in a bowl of hot milk (''mămăligă cu lapte''). Sometimes slices of ''mămăligă'' are pan-fried in oil or in lard, the result being a sort of [[corn pone]]s.
Since ''mămăligă'' can be used as an alternate for bread in many [[Catalog of Romanian cuisine|Romanian dishes]], there are quite a few which are either based on ''mămăligă'', or include it in some way. Arguably, the most popular of them is [[sarma (food)|sarmale]] (a type of [[cabbage roll]]s) with ''mămăligă''. Another popular Romanian dish based on ''mămăliga'' is called [[bulz]], and consists of balls of ''mămăligă'' filled with cheese and butter and roasted in the oven.


Since ''mămăligă'' can be used as an alternate for bread in many [[Romanian cuisine|Romanian dishes]], there are quite a few which are either based on ''mămăligă'', or include it in some way. Arguably, the most popular of them is [[sarma (food)|sarmale]] (a type of [[cabbage roll]]s) with ''mămăligă''.
''Mămăligă'' is a very versatile food: various recipes of ''mămăligă''-based dishes may include milk, butter, various types of cheese, eggs, sausages (usually fried, grilled or oven-roasted), bacon, mushrooms, ham, etc. ''Mămăliga'' is a fat-free, [[cholesterol]]-free, high-[[fiber]] food. It can be used as a healthy alternative to more refined [[carbohydrates]] such as white bread, pasta or hulled rice.
 
Another very popular Romanian dish based on ''mămăliga'' is called [[bulz]], and consists of balls of ''mămăligă'' filled with cheese and butter and roasted in the oven.
 
[[Balmoş]] (sometimes spelled [[balmuş]]) is another ''mămăligă''-like traditional Romanian dish, but is more elaborate. Unlike ''mămăligă'' (where the cornmeal is boiled in water) when making ''balmoş'' the cornmeal must be boiled in [[sheep]] milk. Other ingredients, such as butter, sour cream, ''[[telemea]]'' (a type of [[feta cheese]]), ''[[caş]]'' (a type of fresh [[Curd|curdled]] [[ewe cheese]] without [[whey]], which is sometimes called "[[green cheese]]" in English), ''[[urda cheese|urdă]]'' (a type of [[Curd|curdled]] cheese obtained by boiling and curdling the whey left from ''[[caş]]''), etc., are added to the mixture at certain times during the cooking process. It is a specialty dish of the Romanian shepherds of old, and nowadays very few people still know how to make a proper ''balmoş''.
 
''Mămăligă'' is a very versatile food: various recipes of ''mămăligă''-based dishes may include milk, butter, various types of cheese, eggs, sausages (usually fried, grilled or oven-roasted), bacon, mushrooms, ham, etc. ''Mămăliga'' is a fat-free, cholesterol-free, high-fiber food. It can be used as a healthy alternative to more refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta or hulled rice.  
 
==Trivia==
*A [[gruel]] made of cornmeal, water, milk, butter, salt and sugar is called in Romania ''cir de mămăligă''. If it is exceedingly thin and made only of cornmeal, water and salt it is called ''mieşniţă''.
*Before the arrival of [[maize]] in Romania, ''mămăligă'' was made of [[millet]] flour, but millet ''mămăligă'' is no longer made.
*Owing to the [[Romanians]]' wide association with the dish, Romanian people are sometimes derogatorily called ''мамалиги'' (''mamaligi'') or ''мамалигари'' (''mamaligari'') by [[Bulgarians]], although the dish exists in Bulgaria as well under the name ''kachamak''.
 
==See also==
* [[Cornmeal]]
* [[Fufu]]
* [[Nshima]]
* [[Polenta]]
* [[Sadza]]
* [[Ugali]]

Revision as of 16:43, 16 March 2008

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Mămăligă (/mə.mə'li.gə/, cornmeal mush) is a traditional Romanian dish made out of yellow maize. It is better known to the rest of the world in its Italian form, polenta. Historically a peasant food, it was often used as a substitute for bread or even as a staple food in the poor rural areas. However, in the last decades it has emerged as an upscale dish available in the finest restaurants.

Traditionally, mămăligă is cooked by boiling water, salt and cornmeal in a special-shaped cast iron pot called ceaun. When cooked peasant-style and used as a bread substitute, mămăligă is supposed to be much thicker than the regular Italian polenta to the point that it can be cut in slices, like bread. When cooked for other purposes, mămăligă can be much softer, sometimes almost to the consistency of porridge.

Mămăligă is often served with sour cream and cheese on the side (mămăligă cu brânză şi smântână) or crushed in a bowl of hot milk (mămăligă cu lapte). Sometimes slices of mămăligă are pan-fried in oil or in lard, the result being a sort of corn pones.

Since mămăligă can be used as an alternate for bread in many Romanian dishes, there are quite a few which are either based on mămăligă, or include it in some way. Arguably, the most popular of them is sarmale (a type of cabbage rolls) with mămăligă. Another popular Romanian dish based on mămăliga is called bulz, and consists of balls of mămăligă filled with cheese and butter and roasted in the oven.

Mămăligă is a very versatile food: various recipes of mămăligă-based dishes may include milk, butter, various types of cheese, eggs, sausages (usually fried, grilled or oven-roasted), bacon, mushrooms, ham, etc. Mămăliga is a fat-free, cholesterol-free, high-fiber food. It can be used as a healthy alternative to more refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta or hulled rice.

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