Posted on 08/24/2020 9:33:52 AM PDT by Red Badger
Grits are a popular dish widely consumed across the Southern United States.
They’re made from dried, ground corn (Maize) cooked in various liquids — including water, milk, or broth — until the mix reaches a thick, creamy, porridge-like consistency.
While grits are incredibly popular, many people wonder whether they’re good for you.
This article reviews grits, including their nutrition, benefits, and whether they’re healthy.
What are grits?
Grits are a popular Southern American dish made from crushed or ground corn.
They’re most commonly served as a breakfast or side dish and usually made from a variety of corn called dent corn, which has a softer, starchy kernel (1).
The crushed corn granules are typically cooked in either hot water, milk, or broth until they reach a thick yet creamy consistency that is similar to porridge.
Grits are often paired with flavorful ingredients, such as butter, sugar, syrups, cheeses, and meats like bacon, shrimp, and catfish.
You can purchase several varieties of grits, including:
Stone-ground. These are made from whole, dried corn kernels that are coarsely ground in a mill. This type is harder to find in grocery stores because it has a short shelf life and takes 30–60 minutes to cook on the stove (2). Hominy. These are made from corn kernels soaked in an alkali solution to soften the tough pericarp (outer shell or hull). The pericarp is rinsed, then removed, and the corn kernels undergo further processing to make hominy (3Trusted Source). Quick and regular. These types undergo processing, which involves removing the pericarp and germ (nutrient-rich embryo), so they have a longer shelf life. Regular versions are medium ground while quick are finely ground (2). Instant. This precooked, dehydrated version has had both the pericarp and germ removed. They’re widely available in grocery stores.
Summary:
Grits are a popular Southern American dish made from ground, dried corn. They are typically cooked in milk, water, or broth until they reach a thick, creamy consistency.
Grits nutrition facts
Grits contain a variety of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
One cup (257 grams) of cooked, regular grits provides the following nutrients (4):
Calories: 182
Protein: 4 grams
Fat: 1 gram
Carbs: 38 grams
Fiber: 2 grams
Folate: 25% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
Thiamine: 18% of the RDI
Niacin: 13% of the RDI
Riboflavin: 12% of the RDI
Iron: 8% of the RDI
Vitamin B6: 7% of the RDI
Magnesium: 5% of the RDI
Zinc: 4% of the RDI
Phosphorus: 4% of the RDI
What’s most impressive about grits is that they’re high in iron, which is essential for red blood cell production. They also include many B vitamins, such as folate and thiamine, as well as trace amounts of potassium, pantothenic acid, calcium, and vitamin E (5Trusted Source).
However, regular versions contain fewer vitamins and minerals — like calcium and vitamins A and C — than the stone-ground varieties made from whole corn kernels (4).
That’s because they undergo several stages of processing, which removes nutritious parts of the corn like the pericarp and germ (2).
Summary:
Grits provide a variety of nutrients and are especially high in iron and B vitamins. Stone-ground varieties are more nutritious, as they don’t have the pericarp and germ removed.
...don’t have the first bloody clue what polenta is...
___________
A Northern Italian staple, sort of like a cornmeal risotto,also can be used to make little dumplings called gnocchi or can be chilled, sliced and fried. Good with cheese added, with tomato gravy (what non-Italians call spaghetti sauce), eaten for dinner or breakfast or lunch.
Tasty.
It can?
Never knew that. Guess we lucked out as the pup gobbled (no pun intended) any turkey scraps he could find.
Not French, but you reminded me of kishka, another Russian peasant dish.
Kishke Recipe
3 feet Beef casing
1 cup Flour sifted
1/2 cup Matzo
or cracker meal
1/4 cup Grated
onion
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1 teaspoon Paprika
1 cup Chicken fat
2 Onions sliced
Kishkas can also be made with an organ meat, such as liver and various grain stuffings. The cooked kishke can range in color from grey-white to brownish-orange, depending on how much paprika is used and the other ingredients. There are also vegetarian kishka recipes.
Wash the casing in cold water and scrape the inside. Cut casing in half and sew one end of each half.
Blend well the flour, meal, grated onion, salt, pepper, paprika and 3/4 cup of the fat. Stuff the casings and sew the open ends. Cook in boiling salted water 1 hour. Drain.
Spread the remaining fat and the sliced onions in a baking dish. Arrange the kishke over it. Roast in a 350 degree oven 1 1/2 hours, basting frequently. Or, if you prefer, you can roast it in the same pan with meat or poultry with which it will be served. Slice and serve.
Serves 8 to 10.
Admittedly, these are gut bombs that absorb fat as an intrinsic part of the flavor. Cooked with a brisket and bean dish called cholent (one of those dishes cooked overnight).
Don’t know if I could handle them at this age.Was never a favorite of mine, although sometimes cooked with a sweet cholent featuring yams and dried fruit, I would eat it. Peasant food. You take what you got and make it as substantial as you can.
I am making the pork onion fried grits for brunch today that sounds amazing thanks for the recipe. I already do French toast fried grits never throught of making a pork rillette using grits instead of rendered lard.
Grits is good, however I’d rather have oatmeal. I think johnnycake is the Northern version of Grits.
Shrimp and grits, my favorite.
Try Amazon.
It’s a pretty common recipe in Appalachia. My grandmother called it liver hash, but I think other areas in the mountains called it liver mush. I like the “hash” name better.
Polish boudin
Grain instead of rice
Peasants always find a way.
The jokes about Cajun food are legend, of course and they’re all true.
I tried my hand at gumbo a couple of times. I might have been too generous with the roux because it simply swallowed everything I added. I finally ran out of seafood and sausage and rice and veggies and I still had gumbo for the multitudes, forever! ;)
An amazing dish to feed a large crowd and feed them well.
Yes coonasses eat anything they shoot except one another
One of my best pals is from Gonzales
All he does is hunt....and fish
All year something to do with it
He’s at deer camp now
The best grits are straight from the mill. My granddaddy would take the corn from the field to his cousin's mill. Soon enough we had cornmeal and grits. Grits cooked fresh from the mill had flavor. Kind of like potatoes which to me have very little flavor unless they are cooked right out of the garden.
That sounds incredible. Thank you for taking the time and sharing.
“Turkey or turkey fat, which can kill a K9.
It can?”
Enzymes shut down the pancreas.
I’ve seen it happen twice. One dog was a malamute, which barely pulled through.
I will have to talk to the vet as we often dog sit my parent's BT and I would hate to have anything happen to the little guy.
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