# what are Grits? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 15, 2004, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-grits/279953 "2004-12-15T10:58:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-grits/279953/21 "2004-12-15T15:48:55Z")
without the “cream” part 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-grits/279953/22 "2004-12-15T16:19:08Z")
> [@RM Mentock](#): > > without the “cream” part 🙂 …and now, with the Miracle Ingredient… Extra Sand! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-grits/279953/23 "2004-12-15T17:17:29Z")
According to my father, grits are a sophisticated system for carrying apple butter from the bowl to one’s mouth. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-grits/279953/24 "2004-12-15T17:42:52Z")
Either grits or corn meal mush can benefit from not actually being eaten immediately, but placed into loaf pans in the fridge. You then cut slices off for frying, and eat with syrup. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-grits/279953/25 "2004-12-15T17:44:55Z")
Grits are a bland porridge made from hominy. Hominy, in turn, is dried corn (maize) that has been soaked in a lye solution to remove the husk. This has the added benefit of making the niacin in the maize more bio-available. It is popular primarily in the Southern US. During my brief service with the US Army, I was stationed in Missouri. The mess halls offered grits as part of breakfast on a daily basis. When I lived in Texas, they were also commonly offered in restaurants. Frankly, I don’t see why they are the subject of much argument. Grits are a rather bland and inoffensive food, in the same category as oatmeal, cream of wheat, farina, or other hot cereals. They taste mainly of what you put on them. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-grits/279953/26 "2004-12-15T17:52:30Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > During my brief service with the US Army, I was stationed in Missouri. The mess halls offered grits as part of breakfast on a daily basis. When I lived in Texas, they were also commonly offered in restaurants. Frankly, I don’t see why they are the subject of much argument. Grits are a rather bland and inoffensive food, in the same category as oatmeal, cream of wheat, farina, or other hot cereals. They taste mainly of what you put on them. And when you put _nothing_ on them, they taste like Romulan Emergency Rations. Kudos to the Trekkie who can identify the ST novel _that_ joke came from. My admiration, if you can also identify the character. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-grits/279953/27 "2004-12-15T18:05:30Z")
must have lots of cheddar cheese and butter and salt, with a side of grilled shrimp or fried catfish and a cold pbr . . . at least that’s how we like them on the Gulf Coast . . . yum ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-grits/279953/28 "2004-12-15T18:23:40Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > And since when does the UK have a Senate? 😕😕😕 The UK doesn’t. Canada does. “Grits” is a nickname for the Liberal Party in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-grits/279953/29 "2004-12-15T18:33:09Z")
> [@Northern Piper](#): > > The UK doesn’t. > > Canada does. > > “Grits” is a nickname for the Liberal Party in Canada. Many sorrys. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-grits/279953/30 "2004-12-15T19:29:09Z")
If you are curious and want to try grits, seek out a Denny’s Restaurant. They offer grits in place of hash browns with their breakfasts. At least they do here in SoCal, and it’s one of the few places I know of that serve grits in this part of the country. Here’s how you eat them: Order your eggs over easy or over medium… heck, sunny side up if you like 'em that way. You do NOT want them scrambled or with the yolks broken… you want a runny yolk. When the plate comes out, Denny’s will have put your grits in a bowl. This is OK for now. Ask your server for extra butter. While she brings it, move all the eggs on the plate to one side and put the grits on your plate. Mix all the butter and some salt in with the grits and then put the eggs on top. Add lots of black pepper and a little more salt to the eggs. Now, take your knife and fork and shred the eggs into the grits. Cut cross hatches across the eggs, kinda like you’re cutting up spaghetti for a little kid to eat with a spoon. Make sure the yolk gets mixed in good with the grits, turning them a golden color, and the cooked whites get cut up into bite sized bits. Now, eat this mixture with a fork. Try to get a bite of egg white in with each bite of golden grits. My sister used to crumble her bacon in with the grits and eggs, but it’s not necessary. That is the only proper southern way to eat hot grits. And it’s _damn good_. Anyone who disses grits hasn’t been served proper grits, and I feel sorry for 'em. I get a craving for this at least once a month, and Denny’s grits are actually not all that bad. (It’s also traditional to throw a big pot of boiling hot grits on your unfaithful husband when he’s least expecting it. But that’s not eating 'em…) ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-grits/279953/31 "2004-12-15T19:42:32Z")
> [@bughunter](#): > > (It’s also traditional to throw a big pot of boiling hot grits on your unfaithful husband when he’s least expecting it. But that’s not eating 'em…) No…it’s merely kinder than forcing the poor slob to eat them. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-grits/279953/32 "2004-12-15T19:53:11Z")
“D’ y’all serve grits here?” “Ma’am, we serve anyone.” “No, no. Hominy grits. Y’all serve hominy grits?” “We’ll serve however many you want, ma’am, but parties over six will have a fifteen percent gratuity added to their check.” ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-grits/279953/33 "2004-12-15T20:19:47Z")
Mixing grits with eggs fried easy is OK, but good grits taste better by itself. If the grits are made right, with plenty of butter and milk, they are sumptous solo. Few places make them right, but the Marina here in Charleston does a great job. I never thought of grits as a porridge. I’ve always thought porridge was a type of soup. Grits is more on the order of cream of wheat, only with corn. ---
**Author:** ![wnorthr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecccb3/32.png) [@wnorthr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wnorthr)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-grits/279953/34 "2004-12-15T20:45:00Z")
I’m with bughunter on the Denny’s grits but up here on NoCal if they gave me more butter with my grits I’d need to eat it with a soup spoon. Born and raised in CT by the way. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-grits/279953/35 "2004-12-15T21:20:58Z")
I’m a northener myself and I love grits. If you’re in the Washington, D.C., area, go to the Hickory Grill (Loehmann’s Plaza, U.S. 50, near the I-495 interchange) for Sunday brunch and have their grits. It’s the real coarse-ground, slow-cooked stuff and it’s great. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-grits/279953/36 "2004-12-16T00:28:58Z")
> [@bughunter](#): > > If you are curious and want to try grits, seek out a Denny’s Restaurant. They offer grits in place of hash browns with their breakfasts. Cracker Barrel also serve grits. > [@Scumpup](#): > > Grits are a bland porridge made from hominy. Hominy, in turn, is dried corn (maize) that has been soaked in a lye solution to remove the husk. To elaborate just a bit. The dried hominy is then ground to the consistency of medium coarse sand. It is properly termed hominy grits, commonly kna GRITS! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-grits/279953/37 "2004-12-16T01:09:40Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > Many sorrys. ☹ No need to apologize - no insult taken or intended. Sorry if I seemed gruff - was in a hurry to post and get back to work. Everything’s 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-grits/279953/38 "2004-12-16T01:25:52Z")
> [@bob\_loblaw](#): > > grits are liberals. and you can’t kill them, the old ones just get sent to the senate. ok, they’re not all bad (they did give us trudeau) but still, you wouldn’t want to eat any; the odds of contamination are high. I was glad to see this come up so early in the thread. My first thought when I saw the title was to reply “The opposite of Tories, of course!” but now I don’t have to. 😛 Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![oh\_s](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b38774/32.png) [@oh\_s](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oh_s)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-grits/279953/39 "2004-12-16T02:03:12Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > And knowing is half the battle. > The other half is choking down the g%d#mn grits. > They are the South’s Great Mistake, rivaled only by Pickett’s Charge. > And since when does the UK have a Senate? 😕😕😕 ``` Picketts' charge, I remember studying that at school as a what not to do. I live in the West Island of New Zealand, you might have heard of it. We call it Australia and didn't we kick those Kiwis in the Test Cricket 2wks ago. All jokes aside I'm determined to try these grits, they must be alright from what I'm reading. ``` ---
**Author:** ![phaishazamkhan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@phaishazamkhan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phaishazamkhan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-grits/279953/40 "2004-12-16T02:15:23Z")
What’s the connection between grits and Natalie Portman? I’ve seen this combination mentioned in online forums but never got the reference. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-grits/279953.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-grits/279953.md?page=3)