Bob's Red Mill Cornmeal

What it is: Stone-ground, whole-grain cornmeal.

What's so different? Most cornmeal sold in the supermarket is neither whole grain nor stone-ground.

What does stone-ground mean? Whole kernels of corn (or other grains) are slowly ground between two large, wheel-shaped quartz "mills," or grinding stones, following centuries-old techniques.

This contrasts with most contemporary grinding methods, which employ modern machinery and steel rollers.

What of it? Advocates contend stone-grinding's cooler temperatures reduce possible nutritional loss linked to the higher heat of grinding with modern machinery.

What is whole-grain corn? It's corn that retains its nutritious center germ and its fibrous outer skin. Most cornmeal has been degermed, with oil from the germ put to use in making vegetable oil. Some, but not all, of the nutrients lost when corn is degermed are restored in enriched cornmeal.

How much fiber? ¼ cup of dry Bob's Red Mill cornmeal contains 5 grams of fiber, while the same amount of degermed yellow corn meal from Albers, a leading brand, contains about 1.3 grams of fiber.

Taste: Some users find whole-grain cornmeal's flavor richer and the texture more interesting than those of degermed cornmeal. The Red Mill brand comes in three grinds: fine, medium and coarse.

Price: More costly than degermed, non-stone-ground cornmeal. Recent prices at a local supermarket: Bob's Red Mill stone-ground, whole-grain, medium-grind cornmeal, $3.03 per pound; Albers enriched and degermed yellow cornmeal, $1.20 per pound.

Judith Blake, Seattle Times staff writer