Loose grits before cooking
Grits - God’s Gift to the South
Where in the world would my sacred southern society be without the glorious gift of grits?!? This is the promised post inspired by a question asked by @lyndsaybowes on one of my previous posts.
Introduction
I am very passionate about grits and the royal place of exaltation I feel they should hold in southern society. They are the king of southern cuisine in my humble opinion and in the following paragraphs I will attempt to explain why I feel so strongly about them. One of my earliest and fondest memories is eating grits and eggs with my Grandfather. It is just a whisper of a mist of a memory. He passed away when I was too young to remember, but I have this lasting, indelible memory of him and a passion we both shared. According to my mom he had many flaws and failures but his joy in life was fixing he and I grits and eggs every morning when he lived with my mother and father before he died.
What is a grit, anyway?
Grits are the result of coarsely grinding corn into a rough meal that is then boiled to the desired consistency. If you are not familiar with them, they can range in consistency from fairly liquid to almost solid states. My personal preference is a bit thicker than your average oatmeal would be. Grits usually comes in two varieties, white and yellow. Again, my preference is toward the yellow. I think it has a more robust flavor and rougher meal consistency. The original forerunner of grits was prepared and eaten by Native Americans for centuries before European settlers arrived in America. It was introduced to the new settlers and due to the coarse meal of corn being available year round, it became a staple of the colonies. Throughout the southern lowlands of South Carolina and Georgia, it was a simple breakfast for coastal fishermen who would then add readily available ingredients to enhance the meal, such as shrimp, fish, and wild meats.
The Evolution of Grits
From its humble beginnings, grits became more sophisticated and accepted throughout the nation and there are few seafood dining establishments that do not offer a dish of shrimp and grits or fried fish with shrimp. Growing up in coastal Georgia and Florida fish fries were a normal part of social life and a fish fry wasn’t complete without a big pot of grits on the stove. Traditionally, grits served with shrimp or with fish usually has a copious amount of cheese added to the mix to enhance the flavor. One of the best shrimp and grits dishes I ever had the honor of consuming was at the, now closed, Boathouse Restaurant in Panama City, FL. Their version was to add a delectable smoked Gouda cheese to their white grits and then top it with numerous jumbo fried shrimp. It was divine. As technology advanced, it became easier and easier to cook and serve grits. With store bought instant grits, you can have a steaming bowl of grits in under three minutes.
Although I usually am fond of traditional means of preparing dishes, I am very guilty of using Quaker instant cheddar grits for a quick breakfast. I usually add a little less water than suggest because I prefer my grits thicker than most and I add an additional dollop of butter and an extra sprinkling of extra sharp cheddar cheese. This is usually accompanied by buttered toast(that I make little grit sandwiches out of...lol) and either sausage and bacon. I also make a version of shrimp and grits that is extremely heavy on the garlic and I even have a grits casserole that is comprised of grits, eggs, cheese, and sausage!
Conclusion
I think the versatility and ease of availability of grits is what caused it to gain such popularity among the settlers and allowed it to spread and stay a firm staple food of the south for generations to come. A food that has existed and been enjoyed consistently over hundreds and hundreds of years is definitely worthy of praise and admiration. It is obvious my affinity for this dish of the gods is rooted in emotional attachment created by a grandfather who showed his love through preparing food as I have always done for my loved ones. If there were but one food staple I could continually have in my pantry, it would undoubtedly be grits, glorious yellow grits!
All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter,
Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost
-Tolkien
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