TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Polenta TaragnaBuckwheat Polenta with Mountain Cheese
A mountain polenta blending cornmeal and buckwheat flour, grano saraceno, with melted cheese and butter. Regional cheeses such as Casera or Scimudin are central, creating a flavour and texture distinct from ordinary polenta. Prolonged stirring is essential.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
This is the standard recipe, exactly as it’s made where it comes from — the highest Authenticity Score possible. Substituting ingredients changes this score; the app shows exactly how, ingredient by ingredient.
Ingredients (4 servings)
- Polenta cornmealMedium-ground; add gradually to prevent lumps.180 g
- Buckwheat flourEssential to taragna; mix with the cornmeal before adding.80 g
- Water1000 ml
- Salt12 g
- Unsalted butterFor melting in; take from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.80 g
- Casera or Scimudin cheese from LombardyCut into 1cm cubes. If difficult to obtain, consult the substitutions.150 g
- Parmigiano ReggianoGrate; adds savour at the finish.30 g
Method
Combine the flours and heat the water
- 1 Mix 180g polenta cornmeal and 80g buckwheat flour thoroughly in a bowl.
- 2 Put 1000ml water and 12g salt in a heavy pot over high heat.
- 3 Cut 150g Casera into 1cm cubes.
Ready when
When fine bubbles appear, lower the heat and proceed when steam starts rising from the base.
Add the flour without lumps
- 1 Pour in the 260g flour mixture in a slow thin stream, whisking constantly.
- 2 Once all the flour is in, switch to a wooden spoon.
Ready when
Proceed when white lumps disappear and the mixture is an even grey-brown.
Caution
Adding flour all at once makes lumps; always add gradually while stirring.
Cook the polenta
- 1 Keep over low heat and stir broadly from the base with a wooden spoon every 2–3 minutes.
Ready when
After about 40–45 minutes, proceed when the surface bubbles and a spoon trail closes slowly.
A toasted buckwheat aroma indicates sufficient cooking.
Caution
Less frequent stirring causes scorching at the base; keep stirring continuously.
Melt in the cheese and butter
- 1 Turn off the heat, add 150g Casera cut into 1cm cubes and stir quickly.
- 2 Add 80g unsalted butter and stir well.
- 3 Add 30g grated Parmigiano Reggiano and stir again.
Ready when
It is ready when sticky enough to form strings as you lift it with a spoon.
The surface should be glossy and the cheese completely melted in.
Caution
Always add cheese and butter off the heat; excessive heating separates the fat.
About this dish
Polenta taragna comes from the mountains of Lombardy, particularly Bergamo and Valtellina. Its name derives from tarello, the wooden stick used for stirring. What decisively distinguishes it from plain cornmeal polenta is the blend of buckwheat flour and the finishing addition of mountain cheeses such as Casera and Scimudin.
With cheese and butter melted in, it stretches into sticky strings when lifted with a spoon: a sign of the real thing. Mountain farming households traditionally eat it with hunters’ stews or braised pork, treating it as a dish in its own right, cheese and all, rather than merely a bed to soak up sauce.
Bring the full course home next weekend.
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