Shop The South: Grits

It’s the strangest thing, but whenever I come off of a long road trip, I just want a good bowl of grits to eat. Southern friends of mine have reported the same quirk. The reason could be something ingrained as children on cold mornings but who knows, really? For whatever reason, we become adults who crave grits at odd junctures.

Trying to identify “the best”, however, is a different matter. We apparently have grits preferences. Some say that the type of corn from which they are ground is crucial - and there are more than a few heirloom varieties of corn doing these honors. Others swear by yellow grits as opposed to white or speckled. We each have variations on a theme when it comes to cooking - chicken broth, cream cheese - we have tricks up our sleeve, though we all agree that a simple finish with butter is never a bad idea either. And we very often swear by a certain brand. That last one is a sure-fire road to a Southern food argument, on top of everything else.

On that subject, these are personal favorites that I keep in my freezer, ready to sooth a road-weary soul. You can order these by clicking anywhere in the orange text. Since the source is Amazon, I may end up getting a tiny residual for the referral, by way of full disclosure - but trust me when I say the amount barely registers on the Richter Scale.

Beth’s Favorites

Marsh Hen Mill Stone Ground White Grits, grown and milled on Edisto Island, SC.

Palmetto Farms Stone Ground White Grits, grown and milled in Gallivants Ferry, SC.

These are hardly the only good grits I have run across during a lifetime, but they are the ones that please me the most. Truthfully, though, you cannot go very far in the South without having access to a great local gristmill, and that fact alone accounts for a lot of the “favorites” that Southerners love to claim. Professionals are no different. For instance, ask ten different Southern chefs where they buy their grits, and you will likely get six or eight different answers - and not one of them will be bad.

There is, however, common ground on one subject - instant grits. We are not in favor, to put it mildly. In fact, everyone’s favorite Southern humorist, the late Lewis Grizzard, said it best many years ago…

“Giving Northerners unbuttered instant grits is an old remedy for getting rid of tourists.”

Photo at top of page via the blog, Bake It With Love. She shares a great basic grits recipe, if you’re maybe not from around here and would like to give it a go.