I’m always sketchy of people who don’t like grits. ~
Well, not always sketchy, but I did think that quote was funny. Also, in the interest of fairness, I did include a quote with an alternate opinion; you’ll find it below. Way down below the “fold.”
Seriously, though, the love of, or aversion to, grits is likely as strong on either side as opinions on liver and onions. I recognize that for some diners the problem is the texture. Now I could say that they just haven’t had grits that were prepared properly. I might be right, but they get a pass. It could be the same for liver and onions and I am never going back to that trough. Ever.
But let’s think about what they are and how they got that way. Grits, that is.
Vegetable Origin
For the city slickers among us, grits are a corn derivative. So is cornmeal, and polenta can be made from corn. There are differences, however. You may not care about the distinctions, and if you don’t, that’s fine. However, consider this. You order a baked potato and the server returns with mashed potatoes and gravy. That dish might be delicious, but it isn’t what you asked for. Recall that both are made from potatoes.
If you don’t mind the substitution, you may not care about the difference in corn products. I’ll take the chance. To start, normally white corn is used for grits; yellow is used for polenta; both are common for cornmeal. But wait. There’s more.
How do they get gritty?
Grits are simply ground corn, but not all ground corn qualifies as grits. It depends in part on the fineness of the grind. According to The Spruce Eats, we can distinguish the aforementioned choices this way:
- Cornmeal is ground from dried corn. Commercial products normally have a fairly fine texture, but usually not as fine as wheat flour.
- Grits can be made from coarsely ground corn, but they are often made from hominy–corn treated with lime to remove the hull. Wait, don’t murderers use lime to remove evidence? Back to the topic at hand.
- Polenta made from corn is more coarsely ground than grits and is the product of flint, which has a hard starch center. I attempted to further research flint and went down a rabbit hole out of which you wouldn’t be able to climb–type of corn or product of corn? So just eat polenta and don’t worry about where it came from too much.
Miscellaneous
Grits – in some parts of the country, they’re eaten with sugar, or even maple syrup. I consider that a travesty, but tastes in food are entirely subjective. They don’t make me eat it their way. Sigh. Incidentally, grits were in the U.S. before it was a named country. The Muscogee tribes of the Southeastern Woodlands prepared and enjoyed a version of grits. The dish caught on with the colonists and it is still primarily consumed in the south.
Stone ground grits are whole grain and have a higher nutrient value than 5-minute grits. The latter are more highly processed and partially cooked before they’re packaged. Basically leftovers. And, yes, that’s what I’ve been using, but I’m re-thinking that choice.
According to Wikipedia, 75% of total grits sales are in the Grits Belt – a line drawn from Texas to D.C. Now I don’t normally rely on Wikipedia, but this sounds entirely credible. Additionally, another source states that grits migrated here from South America. Don’t know, but I appreciate their journey, wherever they came from.
Polenta, as mentioned above, can be made from corn, but doesn’t have to be. This name can also be applied to “porridge made with any type of rice, beans, or other grains.” When this is a savory dish, the base liquid might be chicken broth or another flavor-bearing liquid. Polenta is a gift from Italy. Grazie!
Cornmeal, when the grind is quite fine, is actually called corn flour. It is not the same as corn starch, though. Cornmeal is made from the whole kernel, but cornstarch contains only the starchy bits.
While cornmeal is used in a great many households for cornbread, fried green tomatoes, fried okra and hush puppies, its value doesn’t end there. According to Southern Living, cornmeal adds texture to pies (I knew this), cakes (really?) and contributes to the flavor of cornmeal waffles, biscuits, and shortcakes. There’s more, but you can check out the link if you want these recipes and others.
The other quote & close
That’s all a grit is, a vehicle. For whatever it is you rather be eating.”~ The Help
I’m at a loss to understand why Kathryn Stockett would assign this ridiculous statement to one of her characters. I love that book and I don’t recall reading that line. However, we all say odd things now and then. All of this is tongue-in-cheek, obviously; I can take the high road and acknowledge that a dish of grits isn’t everyone’s idea of the way to start their day. Or as a snack at any point after breakfast. But some of us salivate at the thought of a steaming bowl of hot grits with butter and salt and pepper. I think I’ll have to conduct a series of taste tests to see if I can figure it out.
You?
I can’t say I’ve ever added any milk/cream to my grits, but you can bet I’ll try it. Tomorrow sounds like a good time to give it a go. Shae’s grits look exceptionally creamy. Yum!
My mother prepared grits in a casserole with milk, eggs, cayenne pepper, and extra sharp cheddar cheese. This made a good starch instead of potatoes. I prefer grits topped with shrimp! Kenyans eat a thick grit called ugali. It is a vehicle! You scoop it in your fingers and thumb then dip it into greens or whatever you remaining on your plate. It has no seasoning but is very filling.
I think I’d prefer your mother’s recipe over grits with no seasoning. Both corn and potato dishes have better flavor with a little help from their friends: butter, salt and pepper. Back to your mom’s recipe – I have a grits casserole recipe with eggs, sausage, butter and grits. High on the caloric side, but mighty tasty.