How do you eat them

[Whughett]

I'm of the opinion that any time that you must 'doctor' something to make it palatable, you shouldn't be eating it in the first place. Grits ae nothing more than boiled cornmeal (cornmeal mush) which in itself began as a Depression Era meal. Every time I visited 'The South' and was served grits. I made the server remove them, because they're disgusting. It's like oysters in Louisiana. they must be 'doctored with hot sauce and such before they can be eaten, because they too, are disgusting. Not a 'picky' eater, either. In Viet-Nam. ate monkey, cooked over an open fire. It's just, slimy and nasty won't go into my mouth.

First of all you need to Google “grits”. While cornmeal, Polenta, and the aforementioned are both derived from corn the process to make hominy and hominy grits are what makes them hominy and hominy grits. Furthermore “grits”, ground hominy. Is much coarser then corn meal.
Grits are very bland in flavor and like soy tofu rely on additives to increase the flavor, hence all the different additives mentioned thru out this thread. My favorite is cheese, lots of cheese, any flavor of cheese, melted into the boiling grits.

 

[New Hampshire]

On many trips to Africa, we would have a lunch while in the bush of grits and sausage cooked on an open fire with this chunky tomato sauce for the grits. Well damn it was fantastic. Now here at home my wife makes some great salsa from our garden ingredients and we have the salsa on grits with venison, bear or whatever we happen to have for dinner. Everyone looks at us strange when we say salsa on grits, until they try it. This has become one of our staple dinners here.

 

[mushka]

I found out a long time ago that grits will taste like whatever you put with them. I usually just use butter.

 

[Wncman]

I prefer a little black pepper, salt and butter.
My Dad liked them with Butter and Sugar.
If any left overs they get mixed with an egg and fried in patties the next day.

 

[Captndan]

Grits. Salt, pepper, and butter. Make them with water thin them with milk. Any other way is Yankeefied.

 

[The Miner '49er]

And the area around Pennsylvania gave us Scrapple . My daughter is the only one besides myself that like it. ‘Course I told her it was made with cornmeal, flour, and pulled Pork. I just have never told what parts of the pig were pulled for the recipe.

Scrapple is similar to my soul food, goetta. The greater Cincinnati area is home to the majority of goetta lovers who are descended from the Germans who settled here in the late 1800 to early 1900's. They didn't make goetta in Germany, it was started here, and if you're not from this area you probably have never heard of it. When the old timers made goetta the only part of the pig that wasn't used was the squeal. The German phrase, du hast Schwein gehabt, which literally means "you have pork" means something akin to "you're really lucky."

 

[Hermit Tim]

Grits. Salt, pepper, and butter. Make them with water thin them with milk. Any other way is Yankeefied.

Same recipe but drop a little honey in there and see what happens.

 

[Headrush]

I'm of the opinion that any time that you must 'doctor' something to make it palatable, you shouldn't be eating it in the first place. Grits ae nothing more than boiled cornmeal (cornmeal mush) which in itself began as a Depression Era meal. Every time I visited 'The South' and was served grits. I made the server remove them, because they're disgusting. It's like oysters in Louisiana. they must be 'doctored with hot sauce and such before they can be eaten, because they too, are disgusting. Not a 'picky' eater, either. In Viet-Nam. ate monkey, cooked over an open fire. It's just, slimy and nasty won't go into my mouth.

Don't eat grits and problem solved And ( The South) will always have grits and doesn't care if (The north) likes them. I'm of the opinion

 

[Notchy Bob]

I would respectfully disagree regarding the “Depression-Era” origin. Grits were invented by the indigenous people (likely women) who selectively grew and crossbred teosinte plants and developed maize, which we call “corn.” It is an ancient grain, and people here were eating some version of grits before our European ancestors first got off the boats. The Seminole people here in Florida still make sofkee, which is mostly grits cooked thin, with meat. It’s kind of like a hearty soup.

Grits certainly were eaten, and appreciated, during the Depression. My dad was trying to make a living and put himself through school at that time, and he told me there were occasions when grits were all he had. However, having grown up on a farm, he had eaten and enjoyed grits prior to that time, and he continued to enjoy them as part of a proper breakfast, and occasional side dish with supper, for the rest of his life.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings wrote that the old-time Florida Crackers loved them, and considered a day without grits a day wasted.

Disgusting? Only if they are scorched. Grits need to be stirred while they cook, or they can scorch, which ruins them. That’s due to an incompetent cook, not the food itself. Grits are just a cereal grain boiled in water, now associated with the American south.However, Italian polenta is nothing more than cooked yellow grits allowed to congeal. Is polenta disgusting? “Wheatena” is coarse ground wheat boiled in water, and cream of wheat is similar, just bleached white and ground finer. Is oatmeal disgusting? Oats mashed flat and boiled in water…. The there’s rice… a cereal grain boiled in water.

Not everybody likes every regional food. That’s a fact of life. However, I think a lot of that is simple prejudice, more than taste.

Notchy Bob

 

[Ohio Rusty]

When I was in the army in Louisiana ...there were grits for breakfast every morning. You ate them or you went hungry. The only way I could eat them was with butter and syrup. I still eat them that way.
Ohio Rusty ><>

 

[tenngun]

Don't eat grits and problem solved And ( The South) will always have grits and doesn't care if (The north) likes them. I'm of the opinion

Do you like corn?
Corn bread, corn tortillas ect.
That makes all the difference
Grits, barley, wheat, rice all have distinctive flavors, and all take up flavors.
I like hot grains, grits,cream of wheat, oatmeal ect. I prefer oatmeal over grits but do like my grits, and do like hasty pudding and polenta. All taste close together

 

[The Black Tyrone]

Do you like corn?
Corn bread, corn tortillas ect.
That makes all the difference
Grits, barley, wheat, rice all have distinctive flavors, and all take up flavors.
I like hot grains, grits,cream of wheat, oatmeal ect. I prefer oatmeal over grits but do like my grits, and do like hasty pudding and polenta. All taste close together

Me, I love corn but being from Ohio what would you expect.

 

[Dark Angel]

First of all you need to Google “grits”. While cornmeal, Polenta, and the aforementioned are both derived from corn the process to make hominy and hominy grits are what makes them hominy and hominy grits. Furthermore “grits”, ground hominy. Is much coarser then corn meal.
Grits are very bland in flavor and like soy tofu rely on additives to increase the flavor, hence all the different additives mentioned thru out this thread. My favorite is cheese, lots of cheese, any flavor of cheese, melted into the boiling grits.

First of all, I need to Google nothing! I grew up among people that were born in the 19th century and who lived well into the 20th. These people used grits, corn meal mush and other terms interchangeably, sometimes, even calling hushpuppies, corn dodgers. Even had an uncle, who was ancient by my standards that ran with Machinegun Kelly and called a pistol a 'gat' and a Thompson machinegun, a Chicago typewriter'. So, if I use their terminologies, it comes from growing up in a time when such people still lived. Just too bad that kids today couldn't have met some of these people. and learn history of such times from them.

 

[Whughett]

First of all, I need to Google nothing! I grew up among people that were born in the 19th century and who lived well into the 20th. These people used grits, corn meal mush and other terms interchangeably, sometimes, even calling hushpuppies, corn dodgers. Even had an uncle, who was ancient by my standards that ran with Machinegun Kelly and called a pistol a 'gat' and a Thompson machinegun, a Chicago typewriter'. So, if I use their terminologies, it comes from growing up in a time when such people still lived. Just too bad that kids today couldn't have met some of these people. and learn history of such times from them.

Well good for you dude. Happy New Year.

 

[Boatncamp]

I'm of the opinion that any time that you must 'doctor' something to make it palatable, you shouldn't be eating it in the first place. Grits ae nothing more than boiled cornmeal (cornmeal mush) which in itself began as a Depression Era meal. Every time I visited 'The South' and was served grits. I made the server remove them, because they're disgusting. It's like oysters in Louisiana. they must be 'doctored with hot sauce and such before they can be eaten, because they too, are disgusting. Not a 'picky' eater, either. In Viet-Nam. ate monkey, cooked over an open fire. It's just, slimy and nasty won't go into my mouth.

I take it then, if someone visited your home they would find no salt, pepper, ketchup, mustard, salsa, maple syrup, or spices of any kind?

I have known a few people that don't like any of the peppery spices but do enjoy some of the sweeter additives. I have met very few that don't use at least salt which is something commonly used to "doctor foods to make them more palatable"

 

[Hermit Tim]

Do you like corn?
Corn bread, corn tortillas ect.
That makes all the difference
Grits, barley, wheat, rice all have distinctive flavors, and all take up flavors.
I like hot grains, grits,cream of wheat, oatmeal ect. I prefer oatmeal over grits but do like my grits, and do like hasty pudding and polenta. All taste close together

Buddy of mine makes "hillbilly polenta". It's grits made with chicken broth and different kinds of dried pepper flakes. Very tasty.

 

[FLTaft1948]

I'm of the opinion that any time that you must 'doctor' something to make it palatable, you shouldn't be eating it in the first place. Grits ae nothing more than boiled cornmeal (cornmeal mush) which in itself began as a Depression Era meal. Every time I visited 'The South' and was served grits. I made the server remove them, because they're disgusting. It's like oysters in Louisiana. they must be 'doctored with hot sauce and such before they can be eaten, because they too, are disgusting. Not a 'picky' eater, either. In Viet-Nam. ate monkey, cooked over an open fire. It's just, slimy and nasty won't go into my mouth.

I am so very sorry for your affliction! But as my father used to say, "More for the rest of us!"

 

[Boatncamp]

I was trying to edit my post but system isn't allowing me so I will continue....
My mother was one of those individuals that rarely used any spices. Her comment was that spices were added to meat (or any food) to cover up the taste when it was rotting.

A few years ago, after my father had passed, we were having a family gathering with relatives that hadn't been able to come to my dad's funeral. My brother hosted (showing off his new house) and I contributed to the meal. At the end of the meal, my mom's sister-in-law commented "Connie, how did you raise two son's that are both such good cooks?" My mother, without skipping a beat replied " I guess they didn't like my cooking!"

I love her dearly, and am happy that at 92 she is still with us, but boy, she could ruin almost any meal and make it terribly unpalatable, bland, burnt etc.

 

[FLTaft1948]

OK guys, I was fine until a few moments ago, now I've got to go get something to eat! This is a very dangerous thread! My dunlop is in full revolt.

 

[Notchy Bob]

Buddy of mine makes "hillbilly polenta". It's grits made with chicken broth and different kinds of dried pepper flakes. Very tasty.

Now, that sounds like something good to try!

Never underestimate the versatility of simple foods in the hands of creative cooks.

Notchy Bob