Grits

Grits are coarsely ground dried corn, usually white or yellow granules. They cook into a creamy porridge with a mild, corny flavor and a slightly nubby bite. Cooks use them for breakfast bowls and savory sides, as a base for shrimp or braised meats, or chilled and sliced into cakes for frying; common retail forms include stone-ground, quick, and instant.

The dish traces to Indigenous North American traditions of ground maize and hominy, later becoming a staple across the American South. Modern grits are milled from dent corn; some are nixtamalized to make hominy grits, while degermed quick styles trade flavor for speed.