What’s the Difference Between White and Yellow Cornmeal? - Martha White® (2024)

FAQs

What’s the Difference Between White and Yellow Cornmeal? - Martha White®? ›

The only substantial difference between white cornmeal and yellow cornmeal is right there in the names: their colors. The two varieties get their hues from nothing more than the different colors of the kernels of corn from which they are ground.

Though some people believe that yellow corn is sweeter, that's not the case. The only difference is that the naturally occurring pigment that makes those kernels yellow, beta carotene, gives them a bit of a nutritional edge over white corn—beta carotene turns into vitamin A during digestion.

Traditional southern cornbread is a staple in the south and is classically made from white cornmeal, although yellow cornmeal can be used, and cooked in a pre-heated cast iron skillet.

Easily serve pieces of this classic Southern comfort food in minutes for sweet and cakey cornbread that's sure to win everyone over.

Get cooking with Martha White Self Rising Corn Meal Mix with Hot Rize, made from dried ground corn for a texture that is perfect for baking and cooking. Cornmeal is the quintessential southern ingredient and can be used in all sorts of recipes from entrees and side dishes to baked goods and desserts.

As for the best cornmeal for cornbread, either fine- or medium-grind cornmeal is a great choice. Medium-grind cornmeal will bring slightly more texture and grittiness to the batter, which you may or may not want (it's up to you!). You can use fine or medium cornmeal in these extra corny muffins.

Turns out, it's a trick question! There's no difference between yellow and white corn, except in the color of the kernels. That's right — there's no difference in size of ears or taste of the corn between white, yellow, and bicolor varieties.

Most yellow cornmeal, especially the kind found in U.S. supermarkets, is made from dent corn, which has a high starch content and a prominent corny texture. While cornmeal is most commonly used in cornbread, it forms a delicious, crispy crust on fish, chicken, and mozzarella sticks.

Northern cornbreads tend to be more cake-like, on the sweet side, with a finer crumb due to more flour in the mixture. Southern cornbread is flavored with bacon grease, and cooked in a cast iron skillet, a perfect side for barbecues, or chili. It also tends to be rather crumbly.

Why is my Martha White cornbread crumbly? ›

Cornmeal gives cornbread its classic color and flavor, but too much can make your bread crumbly. Try replacing a little bit of cornmeal with flour. The specific measurements will depend on how much cornmeal and flour is in your recipe, but you should try to have more flour than cornmeal in your batter.

'ENRICHED BOLTED WHITE CORN MEAL AND ENRICHED FLOUR AND ENRICHED DEGERMINATED WHITE CORN MEAL (BOLTED WHITE CORN MEAL, WHEAT FLOUR, DEGERMINATED WHITE CORN MEAL, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE), SALT.

The one concrete difference between corn meals may be that, according to some studies, meal ground from darker corn kernels—particularly ones with deep orange, yellow, or purple hues—are richer in nutrients like Vitamin A and beta carotene and therefore slightly more nutritious.

Southern cornbread, besides being made from white corn meal, has very little sugar in it - between a teaspoon and a tablespoon. And it is made with buttermilk. Typically it is made in a preheated oven, with a skillet that has been preheated.

Is cornmeal healthier than white flour? A. Cornmeal has fewer calories, sodium and carbs but more fibre than white flour. Cornmeal is also gluten-free.

Recipes featuring whole-grain cornmeal have a lot to offer. Regularly eating whole-grain corn has been linked to a lower risk of certain chronic diseases, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and may help support digestive health.

Corn, and cornmeal, has been found to improve cardiovascular health and lowering cholesterol levels. Cornmeal is relatively high in selenium—one cup has 18.9mcg, or 34% of your daily recommended value—which has been found to lower coronary heart disease risk.

Yellow corn tortillas have beta carotene, which gives them a slight edge over white. But, blue corn tortillas seem to be the healthiest choice of all.

Myth: Yellow corn is sweeter than white.

Fact: All colors of corn are equally sweet. Explanation: The color of corn is an indication of its carotene content, not its sugar content.