There’s a saying in Italy that attests to the national significance of polenta:  La polenta è utile per quattro cose: serve da minestra, serve da pane, sazia, e scalda le mani, " Polenta is good for four things: to make soup, to make bread, to fill you up, and to warm your hands.”  In the south and middle of the country, Italians eat mainly pasta and bread, but in the north, they prefer rice and polenta.  Polenta is so widespread there that northern Italians are sometimes called polentoni, “polenta-eaters.” 

Polenta is traditionally prepared in a paiolo, a large copper pan tapered at the bottom, and stirred with a long wooden paddle called a tarai.  In Italy, polenta is often eaten family-style from a large platter or wooden board, allowing guests to serve themselves at the table.