Grits

Origin

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

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.

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., which is sometimes called the "grits belt". The state of Georgia declared grits to be its official prepared food in 2002. A similar bill was introduced in South Carolina to name it the official state food, but it did not advance. Nevertheless, South Carolina still has an entire chapter of legislation dealing exclusively with corn meal and grits.

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".

Preparation

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. Whole-grain grits require much longer to become soft than "quick grits".

Dishes

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

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

Grits and grunts is a breakfast dish considered to be a staple of Floridian cuisine. The dish is prepared by serving small fried fish fillets, typically white grunts, over cooked grits. It was invented during the colonial period and became popular in Key West during the early 20th century. Barry Popik stated that this popularization occurred around 1900. Stetson Kennedy's book Grits and Grunts: Folkloric Key West was named after the dish.

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

Gallery

File:Probably_the_best_shrimp_&_grits_I've_ever_had,_ever_Cochon_Butcher_New_Orleans.jpg|Shrimp and grits from Cochon Butcher in New Orleans File:Mirliton_Fest_2009_Lunch.jpg|A lunch of mirliton, shrimp and grits from Karma Kitchen File:The_Food_at_Davids_Kitchen_072.jpg|Shrimp and grits with cheddar cheese, chili peppers and jalapeños File:The_Food_at_Davids_Kitchen_156.jpg|Shrimp and grits along with blackened fish and tomato mozzarella and basil (insalata Caprese) File:Shrimp_and_grits_from_Boudro's_in_San_Antonio.jpg|Shrimp and grits from Boudro's in San Antonio

References

References

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2. Moss, Robert. "The Surprisingly Recent Story of How Shrimp and Grits Won Over the South". [[Serious Eats]].
3. Harper, Douglas. "grits". Online Etymology Dictionary.
4. "Iconic Southern Plates: Lowcountry Shrimp and Grits".
5. (1950). "Charleston Receipts". [[Junior League]] of Charleston.
6. (October 1, 2014). "Shrimp and Grits: A History". Deep South Media, LLC.
7. Wulff, Alexia. (November 7, 2016). "A Brief History Of Grits".
8. Marcus, Erica. (3 May 2006). "Burning Questions: Kernels of Truth on Ground Corn". Knight Ridder Tribune Business News.
9. Cutler, Charles L.. (2002). "Tracks that Speak: The Legacy of Native American Words in North American Culture". Houghton Mifflin.
10. "State Prepared Food". Georgia Secretary of State.
11. "South Carolina General Assembly 113th Session, 1999–2000, Bill Number: 4806". South Carolina Legislature.
12. "A Bill And the Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, By Adding Section 1-1-703 So As To Recognize Grits As the Official Food of the State. Session 113 – (1999–2000). 4806 General Bill, By Altman". South Carolina Legislature.
13. "Code of Laws. Title 39. Trade and Commerce. Chapter 29. "Corn Meal and Grits"". South Carolina Legislature.
14. (April 26, 2000). "A Taste of Charleston; Corn's Highest Calling: Grits". [[The New York Times]].
15. "How to Make Grits".
16. "Cornmeal vs. Grits vs. Polenta".
17. (2014-10-29). "How To Cook Grits Like A Southerner".
18. Moss, Robert. (May 13, 2020). "The Surprisingly Recent Story of How Shrimp and Grits Won Over the South".
19. [http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/shrimp-and-grits.html "Shrimp and Grits"], Williams-Sonoma. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
20. (23 December 2015). "Trash to Treasure - Florida Sport Fishing".
21. "Haemulon plumieri".
22. "Creole Grits and Grillades from The Glory of Southern Cooking by James Villas".
23. (2020-03-03). "Spicy Fish and Grits".
24. Gibson, Terry. (2016-06-10). "Brain Food: Tasty Grunts Open Windows Into How Coastal Ecosystems Operate".
25. Popik, Barry. "Double-Tongued Word Wrester Dictionary".
26. Stein, Alan Harris. (2010-01-01). "Grits and Grunts: Folkloric Key West". The Oral History Review.
27. Stacey, Leah. "Southern Fried Grit Patties". Just A Pinch Recipe Club.