Grits

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". Whole kernel grits are often marketed as "stone ground grits". == 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 == See also ==