Definition

1. Noun:
   • Coarsely ground corn: A type of meal or flour made from dried corn (maize) that has been ground into a coarse texture, historically associated with the culinary traditions of Indigenous peoples of the Americas.

Usage

• This term is used as a mass noun to refer to the ingredient itself.
• It is typically used in historical or traditional cooking contexts.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The recipe for traditional johnnycakes calls for indian meal.
  • They used indian meal to make a hearty porridge.

Advanced Usage

• The term is considered dated and may be seen as culturally insensitive in modern contexts. More contemporary and precise terms like cornmeal or coarse cornmeal are preferred.
  • Historical texts often mention "indian meal," but today we would simply call it cornmeal.

Variants and Related Words

• Cornmeal (n): The modern, general term for dried, ground corn.
• Maize meal (n): Another term used, particularly outside North America.
• Polenta (n): While often referring to a dish, can also refer to a specific type of coarse cornmeal.

Synonyms

• Coarse cornmeal
• Maize flour (though "flour" often implies a finer grind)

Notes on Meaning

• This term specifically denotes a coarse grind. Finely ground corn is typically called corn flour.
• It is important to distinguish this from a meal (an instance of eating) related to Indian (South Asian) cuisine. The term "indian meal" in this sense is a compound noun referring to the ingredient, not a description of a type of food from India.

Noun

1. coarsely ground corn