Polenta in the context of "Western cuisine"

European cuisine (also known as Continental cuisine) comprises the cuisines originating from the various countries of Europe.

The cuisines of European countries are diverse, although some common characteristics distinguish them from those of other regions. Compared to traditional cooking of East Asia, meat holds a more prominent and substantial role in serving size. Many dairy products are utilised in cooking. There are hundreds of varieties of cheese and other fermented milk products. White wheat-flour bread has long been the prestige starch, but historically, most people ate bread, flatcakes, or porridge made from rye, spelt, barley, and oats. Those better off would also make pasta, dumplings and pastries. The potato has become a major starch plant in the diet of Europeans and their diaspora since the European colonisation of the Americas. Maize is much less common in most European diets than it is in the Americas; however, cornmeal (polenta or mămăligă) is a major part of the cuisines of Italy, the Balkans and the Caucasus. Although flatbreads (especially those with toppings, such as pizza or tarte flambée) and rice are eaten in Europe, they are only staple foods in limited areas, particularly in Southern Europe. Salads—cold dishes with uncooked or cooked vegetables, sometimes with a dressing—are an integral part of European cuisine.

Cornmeal is a meal (coarse flour) ground from dried maize. It is a common staple food and is ground to coarse, medium, and fine consistencies, but it is not as fine as wheat flour can be. In Mexico and Louisiana, very finely ground cornmeal is referred to as corn flour. When fine cornmeal is made from maize that has been soaked in an alkaline solution, e.g., limewater (a process known as nixtamalization), it is called masa harina (or masa flour), which is used for making arepas, tamales, and tortillas. Boiled cornmeal is called polenta in Italy and is also a traditional dish and bread substitute in Romania.

Mămăligă (Romanian pronunciation: [məməˈliɡə] ;) is a polenta-like dish made out of yellow maize flour, traditional in Romania, Moldova, south-western Ukraine and among Poles in Ukraine (mamałyga), Hungary (puliszka), Bulgaria (kačamak), the Black Sea regions of Georgia and Turkey, and Thessaly and Phthiotis in Greece.

Similar dishes are also eaten in Italy, Switzerland, Southern France, Slovenia, Croatia and Brazil, often with the name polenta.

Ossobuco or osso buco (Italian: [ˌɔssoˈbuːko]; Milanese: òss bus [ˌɔz ˈbyːs]), also known as ossobuco alla milanese, is a specialty of Lombard cuisine of cross-cut veal shanks braised with vegetables, white wine, and broth. It is often garnished with gremolada and traditionally served with either risotto alla milanese or polenta, depending on the regional variation. The marrow from the hole in the bone (the buco in the osso) is a prized delicacy and the defining feature of the dish.

The two types of ossobuco are a modern version that has tomatoes and the original version which does not. The older version, ossobuco in bianco, is flavored with cinnamon, bay leaf, and gremolada. The modern and more popular recipe includes tomatoes, carrots, celery, and onions; gremolada is optional.

Röstigraben (German pronunciation: [ˈrøːstiˌɡraːbən]; lit. 'Rösti ditch' or 'Rösti trench', also transcribed Röschtigraben to reflect the Swiss German pronunciation [ˈrøːʃtiˌɡrabə]) is a term used to refer to the cultural boundary between German-speaking Switzerland and Romandy, the French-speaking parts. There is also the term Polentagraben, referring to the boundary between German-speaking cantons and the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino.

The term first appeared during World War I, when neutral Switzerland stood between the warring German Empire and the French Republic.

Grits is a type of porridge made from coarsely ground dried corn or hominy, the latter being maize that has been treated with an alkali in a process called nixtamalization, with the pericarp (ovary wall) removed. It is eaten primarily in the United States. Grits are cooked in warm salted water or milk. They are often served with flavorings as a breakfast dish, though it also served as a lunch or supper dish, particularly with meat. Grits can be savory or sweet, with savory seasonings being more common. Grits are similar to other thick maize-based porridges from around the world, such as polenta, mieliepap, and mămăligă. The dish originated in the Southern United States but is now available nationwide. Grits are part of the dinner entrée shrimp and grits, served primarily in the Southern United States.

The word "grits" is derived from the Old English word grytt, meaning "coarse meal". In the Charleston, South Carolina area, cooked hominy grits were primarily referred to as "hominy" until the 1980s.