Polenta (Italian pronunciation: [poˈlɛnta]; polente or poleinte in France) is a Central European dish made by boiling cornmeal into a thick, solidified porridge, and directly consumed afterwards or baked, fried or grilled. The term is of Latin origin, derived from the term for hulled and crushed grain (especially barley-meal). Its etymology derives from the same base as the word pollen.