Grits were always particular to the South because corn was grown in the South. In the same way that Northerners always put store-bought bread and potatoes on their tables, Southerners always have had biscuits, quick breads and grits. Grits, as I grew up eating them, are fresh whole-kernel corn or hominy corn with fresh germ and meal, separated, sifted, cleaned and mixed by hand so that the fresh corn flavor of the corn germ is preserved. There remains in this mix so much corn oil that the grits must be stored in the refrigerator or freezer so that they do not spoil. This is very unlike the lye-soaked dry product that you get in most stores.
Many people misunderstand the simple magic of grits altogether.
Grits should have a texture not unlike rice pudding and can be as bland or as flavorful as the cook's hand. We make ours with half milk and half vegetable stock and finish them off with cheddar cheese. Any way that you make grits, however, they serve as a wonderful foil for rich sauces or plain items, and serve the kitchen more subtly than simply using potatoes or rice as a side. All rights reserved.