Grits

Grits, as a breakfast side-dish with bacon , scrambled eggs and toast
Type	Porridge
Place of origin	United States
Main ingredients	Ground corn
Variations	Hominy grits Yellow speckled grits Cheese grits
Media: Grits

Grits are a type of porridge made from coarsely ground dried maize or hominy , ^[1] the latter being maize that has been treated with an alkali in a process called nixtamalization , with the pericarp (ovary wall) removed. Grits are cooked in warm salted water or milk. They are often served with flavorings ^[2] as a breakfast dish. Grits can be savory or sweet, with savory seasonings being more common. Grits are similar to other thick maize-based porridges from around the world, such as polenta and mieliepap . The dish originated in the Southern United States but is now available nationwide. Grits are often part of a dinner entree shrimp and grits , served primarily in the Southern United States. ^[2]

The word "grits" is derived from the Old English word grytt , meaning "coarse meal". ^[3] In the Charleston, South Carolina area, cooked hominy grits were primarily referred to as "hominy" until the 1980s. ^{[4] [5]}

Origin [ edit ]

The dish originated with the Native American Muscogee tribe using maize. ^[6] American colonists learned to make the dish from the Native Americans, and it quickly became an American staple. ^[7]

At that time, maize or hominy for grits was ground on a stone mill . The ground material was passed through screens, the finer sifted material used as grit meal, and the coarser as grits. ^[8]

Three-quarters of the grits sold in the U.S. are bought in the South, in an area stretching from Lower Texas to Washington, D.C. , that is sometimes called the "grits belt". ^[9] The state of Georgia declared grits to be its official prepared food in 2002. ^[10] A similar bill was introduced in South Carolina to name it the official state food, ^[11] but it did not advance. ^[12] Nevertheless, South Carolina still has an entire chapter of legislation dealing exclusively with corn meal and grits. ^[13] State law in South Carolina requires grits and rice meal to be enriched , similar to the requirement for flour. ^[13]

Grits may be either yellow or white, depending on the color of the maize used. The most common version in supermarkets is "quick" grits, which are made from non-hominy maize and have the germ and hull removed. Whole kernel grits are sometimes called "speckled". ^[14]

Preparation [ edit ]

Grits are prepared by mixing water or milk and the dry grits and stirring them over heat, if one uses cornmeal , the food is called mush . ^{[15] [16]} Whole grain grits require much longer to become soft than "quick grits".

Dishes [ edit ]

Grits are eaten with a wide variety of foods, such as eggs and bacon, fried catfish , shrimp , salmon croquettes , or country ham . ^[17]

Shrimp and grits is a traditional dish in the coastal communities in the South Carolina Lowcountry and Georgia's Lower Coastal Plain . ^[18]

Solidified cooked grits can be sliced and fried in vegetable oil , butter, or bacon grease, or they can first be breaded in beaten egg and bread crumbs . ^[19]

See also [ edit ]

• Creamed corn
• Cuisine of the Southern United States
• Cuisine of the United States
• Farina (food)
• Groats
• Hasty pudding
• List of porridges
• Mush (cornmeal)
• Polenta
• Three Sisters (agriculture)

References [ edit ]

Look up grits in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Grits .

Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on

• Hominy Grits