The variety of recipes defining Como cuisine features essential Polenta specialties defined by fame and diffusion. This classic Italian dish is prepared in Como typically ‘poor’ featuring simple but highly energetic ingredients, such as corn and buckwheat flour.
Once upon a time, Polenta Taragna became the most popular version in the Como area involving the use of corn flour and buckwheat mixed together in a single dish.
Today, both the classic Taragna version and its enriched types, like Polenta Toc and Uncia specialty, are mainly used to accompany other foods: from the typical fish of Lake Como such as Missoltini and Perch up to second courses with meat.
Polenta Uncia typical of Lake Como
Polenta Uncia from Lake Como is a dish that you absolutely must try during your gastronomic holiday. This is an enriched version of simple Polenta Taragna that includes the addition of butter, sage, garlic and fatty cheese.
Very recommended in colder periods, Polenta Uncia is a caloric and nutritious dish, ideal for dealing with low temperatures in the autumn and winter months. To better enjoy its soft and creamy consistency, you can also enjoy in a single course exactly as in the past.
Polenta Toc: ideal during festive periods
One more variant of Polenta Taragna is Toc recipe prepared with traditional corn and buckwheat flour including cheeses and aromatic herbs. For this reason, until the last century, it was considered a typical specialty of the festive periods. Polenta Toc is usually consumed during Christmas as well as on weddings ceremonies and events.
Furthermore, compared to the Uncia specialty, Polenta Toc requires a slower and more complicated processing to obtain the right soft and uniform consistency.
The name of Polenta Toc is based on the way it was eaten: according to tradition, the cauldron should be placed at the center of the table, so that everyone can serve it with their hands, touching the dish. The remains were used for Ragell, a mulled wine prepared inside the same cauldron (unwashed, of course) with the addition of cinnamon and various spices.
