Polenta () is a dish of boiled cornmeal. It may be served as a hot porridge, or it may be allowed to cool and solidify into a loaf that can be baked, fried, or grilled. It is a dish popular in Italian, Savoy, Swiss, Austrian, Croatian, Slovenian, Albanian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Corsican, Argentine, Brazilian, and Mexican cuisine, and it is a traditional staple food throughout much of northern Italy.