Grits

Grits with scrambled eggs , bacon and toast - a typical southern breakfast

Grits is a meal made from coarse semolina or grits made from corn that is particularly popular in southern American cuisine . It is related to polenta and semolina , but in contrast to these , it has gone through the process of nixtamalization , so that the niacin contained in corn can be used by the body.

Grits are served warm or cold and served as an accompaniment to a variety of dishes for breakfast or as a dessert, depending on the other ingredients used. Typical other ingredients are salt, butter, meat, vegetables and sugar. Yellow grits are made from whole grain of corn, while white grits are made from hulled corn. Grits are made by boiling the ground grains with water. The water is allowed to evaporate until the pulp is semi-solid.

origin

The word grits is derived from the old English grytt for "coarsely ground grain". It is related to the German word Grütze , which is derived from the Old High German gruzzi and also denotes coarsely ground grain. Traditionally, the corn is ground in a stone mill. The crushed grist is then sieved and separated into flour and coarser grains. Many communities in the United States had their own flour mill until the twentieth century , where families would grind their corn and give the miller some of the corn as a meal fee.

Over 75% of ground corn is sold in the southern states, known as the Grits Belt , which stretches from Texas to Virginia . The State of Georgia declared Grits an official state court in 2002 . Similar regulations have been introduced in South Carolina , with a statement saying:

“The South has enjoyed its grits throughout its history, making it a symbol of its eating habits, customs, mood and hospitality. In the state of South Carolina, each parish was the site of a flour mill, and each parish in the state was dependent only on its own produce. Grits have been a part of the life of every South Carolina resident regardless of race, education, gender, or income level. Grits could very well play an essential role not only for this state, but for the whole world in the future. "

In The Post and Courier of Charleston it was in 1952:

“As a cheap, easy and easily digestible food, grits should become popular around the world. If there were enough, people would have no reason to fight. A man saturated with grits is a man of peace. "

Web links

Commons : Grits - collection of images, videos and audio files

Flour Mills , Grits Festivals, Recipes, and Photos - SCIway.net, South Carolina Information Highway

Individual evidence

↑ Douglas Harper: Grits on etymonline.com
^ Georgia Secretary of State, State Prepared Food
^ South Carolina General Assembly 113th Session, 1999-2000, Bill Number: 4806
↑ "whereas, Throughout its history, the South has relished its grits, making them a symbol of its diet, its customs, its humor, and its hospitality, and WHEREAS, every community in the State of South Carolina used to be the site of a grits mill and every local economy in the state used to be dependent on its product; and whereas, grits has been a part of the life of every South Carolinian of whatever race, background, gender, and income; and whereas, grits could very well play a vital role in the future of not only this State, but also the world. "

[1] Douglas Harper: Grits on etymonline.com

[2] Georgia Secretary of State, State Prepared Food

[3] South Carolina General Assembly 113th Session, 1999-2000, Bill Number: 4806

[4] "whereas, Throughout its history, the South has relished its grits, making them a symbol of its diet, its customs, its humor, and its hospitality, and WHEREAS, every community in the State of South Carolina used to be the site of a grits mill and every local economy in the state used to be dependent on its product; and whereas, grits has been a part of the life of every South Carolinian of whatever race, background, gender, and income; and whereas, grits could very well play a vital role in the future of not only this State, but also the world. "