Lesser quality cornmeal, less expensive, and cornmeal brands you often find in the supermarket are made by grinding dried corn utilizing metal grinders. A significant portion of the hull and germ is eliminated, and the resulting meal has an even consistency, but lacks distinctive taste attributes. It is in the image, far left, above and below. On the other hand, stone-ground cornmeal, where the corn undergoes literal grinding between two slowly moving stones, retains a portion of the hull and germ. This particular method yields a coarser and more uneven, rustic texture and imparts a more captivating, and often more robust, flavor profile. Simply put, some say it is "corny-er"! These two types of cornmeal can be used interchangeably, as long as the grind level is equivalent. In other words, a medium grind cornmeal can be substituted for a medium-grind stone-ground cornmeal. In the image below, take a look at the medium grind supermarket cornmeal on the far left, and the stone-ground equivalent, second from right. You can see that the latter is more rustic and uneven in texture.