The Southern classic is versatile, delicious, and has fed communities for generations.
A few months ago , I grabbed a seat atRia ’s Bluebird , anAtlanta breakfast institutionfor a nice stack of pancakes or home plate of runt and grit . I was about to take my first sip of hot coffee when I caught a bit of a conversation at the table next to me .
“ Wait , what are gritstone ? ” I heard a young blonde woman ask her acquaintance . I had to blockade myself from blister around to ensure I ’d heard her right . or else , I close my open mouth , sunk back in my chair , and hear as her acquaintance incorrectly answered : “ It ’s kind of like Cream of Wheat , but coarser and not cherubic . ”
That ’s … not quite it . I was shocked . Surely , I thought disbelievingly , everyone has heard of grits .
Design by Maggie Rossetti for Thrillist. Photos courtesy Marsh Hen Mill.
ostensibly not . While many Southerner have linkup to the knockout , the region is big and divers . Plus , over the last few geezerhood , spur in part by the pandemic , southerly stateshave seen an inflow of residents relocate from places like New York , California , Illinois , Pennsylvania and Massachusetts , allot toForbes . Many of these new arrival may be experience things for the first clip that Southerners take for granted . Among them , it seems , are grits .
Though not a Southerner by parturition , I have call this region home for five years . Before that , I happily eat up guts for breakfast as a small child . My home is from Louisiana , so a plate of grits was very common at our tabular array . ( They were , however , of the crying variety , a fake pas I now know would not pass selective service in most Southern kitchen . ) And so , I invite everyone to get to screw the glory that is grits , a dish deeply rooted in the South that continues to eat community across the country in all sort of ways .
What are grits?
hominy grits are Harlan F. Stone - ground bite of stiff dent corn whisky that are cooked in a liquid , like milk , water or stock , until they are voiced and creamy . Traditionally , it takes upward of an hour to cook them .
Are grits polenta?
Yes and no . Polenta is traditionally made with yellowcornthat has been milled multiple times , while Southern gritrock by and orotund consist of the white variety . backbone are usually milled only once , so their grain tend to be coarser .
“ Polenta has an Italian origin , ” says William West , carbon monoxide gas - owner ofCarolina Grits Company , a mob - run mill that produce small - batch grits and Indian meal variety . “ The corn whisky used [ for polenta ] is deal a type of flint corn which tends to have a harder shell . It ’s a completely different variety from what we use for gritrock . ”
Still , in manyrecipes , you may use polenta and grit interchangeably .
Some historians believe people have been eating food similar to grits since 8700 B.C.E.|Design by Maggie Rossetti for Thrillist
Instant vs. classic vs. heirloom?
If you saunter down your localgroceryaisle and come across a hominy grits section , you ’ll likely encounter a few options . There are instant grits that fudge in about 5 to 10 minutes , Graeco-Roman grits that take about 30 minutes to cook , and Harlan F. Stone - primer or heirloom varieties that need the better part of an hour or more to wangle properly .
“ Instant grits are what 95 % of the people in the world who know moxie are eating because it ’s approachable , it ’s low-cost , it is fulfil , and it ’s comforting , ” say Murray , author ofGrits : A ethnic and Culinary Journey Through the South . “But they ’re highly action . The corn itself is extremely processed . You suffer nutrients when you roll grits that way . ”
On the diametrical side of the spectrum are I. F. Stone - earth and heirloom varieties . “ These varietals are from old seed stocks that have n’t been hybridize , ” says West , who notes that their popularity is surging . Old - time corn seeds like Jimmy Red , Bloody Butcher , and Wapsie Valley have found their way onto the menus of some of the most celebrated restaurants in the country .
Grits and polenta are not identical, but can be used in many of the same recipes|Photo by Carolina Grits Design by Maggie Rossetti
For nursing home Captain Cook , preparing this eccentric of grit can be an punishing project , often accept hours of constant stirring and swimming additions to get the good grain . And , while most heirloom grits are sold online , they ’re not always easy to line up in grocery stores .
Somewhere in the midriff between instant and heirloom are classic , white sand you ’d likely get served in any breakfast resort or buffet car in the South . These are normally white , creamy and an easy score at literally any solid food memory you take the air into .
Where can I buy grits?
It ’s now well-heeled than ever to get your hand on a bag of Southern moxie . sword like Anson Mills and Geechie Boy are wide available in foodstuff stores across the commonwealth . Other , smaller brands likeCarolina GritsandMarsh Hen Millship across the country .
But , when it comes to sampling one of the South ’s most beloved nutrient staple , local is likely best . “ I always encourage you people , peculiarly if there is a Fannie Merritt Farmer ’s marketplace in range , go see if you discover , if there are grit from around you that are Harlan F. Stone primer give them a try , ” says Murray .
How do you eat grits?
There is no right or wrong room to eat grit , unless you ’re referring to the age - olddebateabout whether or not it ’s appropriate to add sugar to them . How one Southerner favor their grits unremarkably fall down to a subject of custom .
Besides enjoying a thick scoop of buttery sand next to bacon ( or sausage ) and eggs , another democratic way to serve grits is with prawn . Cities likeNew Orleans , Charleston , andSavannaheach have their own special spins on that combining , all involving the juxtaposition of savory grits with sweet crustaceans .
They ’re a various food . During the winter holidays , grits often appear in a cheesy breakfast casserole that many await forwards to all twelvemonth long . And , if you serve grits underneath tender shreds of slowly cook kick and aromatics , you ’ve get an elegant , five - superstar repast that would cost a pretty cent in any eatery .
Grits are a versatile food.|Design by Maggie Rossetti for Thrillist. Photo courtesy Carolina Grits
If you ’re fresh to grits , take it tiresome . “ Start simple , ” says West . “ If you overload your grits with a draw of cheese and fat , you ’re gon na misplace out on some of the nuances of it . I love cheesy , fatty backbone as much as the next mortal , but there ’s a time and seat for it . Really take the sentence to have a bowl of grits . ” Whether you ’re out to breakfast or stirring a pot in a subdued kitchen , now that you ’ve read this piece , you ’ll never again allow anyone to befuddle grits with Cream of Wheat .
