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 entrée shrimp and grits, served primarily in the South.[2]
Type | Porridge |
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Place of origin | United States |
Main ingredients | Ground corn |
Variations |
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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]
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]
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".
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]