[Magnum44]

I could be wrong, but growing up in the South, it was my understanding that grits, like many other southern dishes (corn bread, lard fried chicken, lard fried pretty much everything, etc) came out of the poor south having very little to feed itself with post civil war, and these recipes provided the minimal substance and nutrition. I thinks grits, among other recipes, also did not have much flavor of their own, but were later supplemented with lots of salt, butter, and/or cheese to make them tastier. I am a fan of the tastier versions, though I am guessing its more healthy without the salt and butter.

[nomorelurker]

“I could be wrong, but growing up in the South, it was my understanding that grits, like many other southern dishes (corn bread, lard fried chicken, lard fried pretty much everything, etc) came out of the poor south having very little to feed itself with post civil war, and these recipes provided the minimal substance and nutrition.”

Bit off topic but my Mother always said that the Southern tradition of having Blackeyed peas, salt pork(jowl), cornbread and greens for New years day came from waking up poor in the South looking around and finding all that was left to eat at that point in the winter was, a few cups of dried Blackeyed peas, some almost rancid salt pork, cornmeal, and whatever scraggly, turnip, mustard or collards was left in the garden.

[Susquehanna Patriot]

“... also did not have much flavor of their own, but were later supplemented with lots of salt, butter,...”

Could you not say the same about potatoes?

[reformedliberal]

...came out of the poor south having very little to feed itself with post civil war, and these recipes provided the minimal substance and nutrition.
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My grandparents came from Russia, from areas where Jews were more or less limited to certain rural villages that were disadvantaged, to say the least.

We had buckwheat groats (I think *grits* is a variant of *groat*) called kasha,savory or sweet and often mixed with pasta and onions. Everything was cooked with schmaltz (chicken fat), schmaltz was used as a spread for bread. Bagels, a boiled bread, came about because the Jews in mixed ethnic villages were denied the use of the communal ovens to bake their bread. White radishes and schmaltz on dark rye was a favorite snack for the elders. Tough meats cooked for hours depended on a banked overnight fire, either to stretch fuel or because religious laws prevented striking a spark on Sabbath.

Peasant food is similar everywhere. Nothing wasted, everything stretched and yet, people find ways to make it all taste delicious. If you grow up with something, it becomes your *soul food* and you find yourself craving it decades later.