Corn meal, also called polenta, is a coarse yellow flour which is now made from corn or maize. Originally this flour was made from millet or spelt, then barley. The term "polenta" is also used to describe a very thick porridge made from corn meal.

It is used to make many foods of American, Central American, African and northern Italian origin. Unless the corn or maize has been treated with heat and an alkali solution, the nutrients remain mostly unavailable.

Uses include porridge, cornbread, muffins, stuffings for turkey and fish, tamale pie and numerous types of quick breads. Cooked mealie, the staple of many African tribes, is a corn meal mush. Unfortunately their options for treating the corn meal with alkali are limited, so many of the nutrients are not absorbed.

If treated, corn meal is a good source of iron and thiamin, and contains moderate amounts of protein and niacin. The protein is however of a poor quality.