Maize is a type of cereal that thrives in warm and sunny regions.
Maize was brought from America to Europe in 1493 by Christopher Columbus. In as early as the 16th century the first maize fields were being farmed in Spain. In Switzerland, maize has been farmed since the 17th century in the Rhine Valley in St. Gallen, where it thrives particularly well thanks to the warm and humid climate and the Alpenföhn. Thanks to new types less sensitive to the cold, maize farming became possible on a grander scale from 1960 onwards.
Maize in Switzerland
The descriptions most used for edible maize grits are polenta and bramata. Polenta we primarily see as fine, medium or semi-coarse ground edible maize grits, whereas bramata is a Grison speciality of the especially coarse-grained type.
Maize has belonged to the main foodstuffs such as oats, barley or potatoes since ancient times. Alongside the typical Swiss "potato rösti" and oat bran, polenta was once primarily be found on the breakfast table. And in mountainous regions fried polenta slices are still served for breakfast today.
The eating habits change from generation to generation. Polenta has been largely replaced by pasta, potatoes and rice since the Second World War. But polenta is making a comeback. For today more and more cooks know how healthy, tasty and affordable polenta is. And no later than by the time "2-minute maize" came about, polenta became very quick and easy to prepare.
