Melted Cheese and Cornmeal
A warm cornmeal, butter and melting-cheese dish inspired by Trabzon cooking.
The Turkish pantry
Cornmeal (fine)
Fine yellow cornmeal is ground maize; white cornstarch is a separate product.
Last updated:
Finely ground yellow maize meal, not white cornstarch. The nutrition reference is dry degermed, unenriched yellow cornmeal.
Types & forms
Fine cornmeal
Choose a fine grind for our kuymak.
Coarse polenta · comparison
Larger particles take a different hydration and cooking method.
Cornstarch · comparison
A purified starch, not a replacement for maize meal here.
What to look for when buying
- Check both the ingredient name and grind; “corn flour” can mean different products in different countries.
- Avoid self-raising or seasoned mixtures for a recipe calling for plain cornmeal.
Prepare & cook
- Measure it dry, then follow the recipe’s order for butter and water.
- Cook until hydrated and smooth; do not judge readiness only by a fixed time.
Store it well
- Keep tightly sealed, cool and dry.
- Follow the product’s storage instructions, especially for whole-grain meal containing the germ.
Substitutions depend on the dish
A coarser grind
Use a recipe designed for it. Cornstarch cannot reproduce the same flavor or texture.
Nutrition
Cornmeal, degermed, unenriched, yellow [1]
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 370 kcal |
| Protein | 7.11 g |
| Total fat | 1.75 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.22 g |
| Carbohydrate | 79.4 g |
| Dietary fiber | 3.9 g |
| Total sugars | 1.61 g |
| Sodium | 7 mg |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Calcium | 3 mg |
| Iron | 1.1 mg |
| Potassium | 142 mg |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg |
Dry degermed, unenriched yellow cornmeal. Whole-grain, enriched and hydrated products differ; the source does not analyze each grind separately. Values are rounded for readability; “not reported” does not mean zero. A “<” value is below the source’s measurement limit.
Nutrition values come from the reference source named above. They are published reference values, not our own measurements. Actual products and cooking methods may change the values.
At the Turkish table
Cornmeal gives kuymak its body before the melting cheese is added. The grind matters to the finished texture.
Cook with Cornmeal (fine)
Black Sea Anchovy Cornbread
Dense savory cornmeal bread filled with anchovies, chard, spring onions and herbs.
Cornmeal Soup with Croutons
A smooth cornmeal and milk soup served with tomato-paste sauce and butter-toasted bread cubes.
Fried Anchovies
Small anchovies with a light cornmeal crust, served with lemon and red onion.
Stuffed Anchovy Pairs
Pairs of small anchovies enclosing a little onion and herbs, crisped in a light cornmeal coating. This version sandwiches two butterflied anchovies. Hamsi kuşu also has other local shapes and mixtures; the name does not imply one fixed recipe. Use very little filling so each pair stays closed.