Polenta is a traditional Italian ingredient made from cornmeal, which had been eaten since Roman times. The name derives from the Latin pollen,meaning fine flour. Polenta is usually boiled in water (sometimes milk) until cooked through and either served straight away or chilled then sliced and fried. When prepared in the traditional way, polenta is cooked in a copper pot called a paiolo and stirred with a large wooden spoon known as the torello.