Grits

By Diane Forrest

Recently I was having a discussion about breakfast side dishes with a friend of mine.  He lives up north, and declares that people there want breakfast potatoes.  However, here in the south, Grits are the food of choice.  He questioned why anyone would prefer grits over potatoes, and given a choice, everyone would eat potatoes for breakfast.  I let him know that babies are started out on Grits, and eat them probably most of their lives.

My friend is Italian, and the Italian version of grits is Polenta, originally thought of as a peasant food.  His grandmother used to make them into patties and fry them, and he developed distastes for them.  These days, grits aren't just for breakfast anymore, they can be found served with entrees at finer restaurants at lunch and dinner.  My father, who attends a weekly club meeting where lunch is served, loves the cheese grits that are on the buffet.  In fact, if grits aren't present, I can always tell by his grouchy disposition.

When I see the word "grits" I think of the expression, "Girls raised in the South."  That makes me think that southern women have grit and determination and makes me proud to be a southerner.

Today is World Grits Day.  It’s the perfect day to start your morning with some eggs, bacon and a big side of hot buttered grits.  McDonalds recently started serving grits on their breakfast menu, so I decided to give them a try.  They came in a tiny bowl, about two tablespoons full, and it was a liquidly tasteless mixture.  Here we take our grits very seriously, nearly sacred.  So today, grab some grits at your store, or head to the nearest diner and enjoy a heaping helping.  I like mine with butter and sugar on top.  How do you eat your grits?  Leave us a comment in the section below.

(All images from Google)