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The Strange History of 'Grits'
Grits have been a part of our food history for almost 400 years or, almost as long as the Rolling Stones have been touring.
They date back to around 1607 when the colonists arrived in Jamestown, Va. There, they were met by friendly Native Americans offering what they called “rockahominie.” Rockahominie was softened maize seasoned with salt and animal fat.
The word maize translated into Latin means Waffleus-Houzus. Early prints show a man with a small white hat on his head, with a plate of grits and no sugar near him. It was here that our passion for grits was born.
Let’s go back for the sake of you who are from the North. How many times in the above paragraph did you see the word “sugar?” I believe ZERO.
Grits developed into a food that many families enjoyed not only for breakfast, but as a side dish for meals as well. Grits were known as “Southern oatmeal” before air conditioning or MTV was invented. They were preferred over oatmeal because they could withstand the heat and humidity in the South.
Also, records show that grits were also used as dent-fillers for Fords and Chrysler products in Forsyth and Dawson Counties during the mid-1950s.
Grits have been credited with getting many Southern families through the Depression era of the 1930s. Since they were plentiful and inexpensive, they were a popular food choice because they were filling and easily made and not eaten with sugar.
Even as times change, grits have evolved from a regional food often used for survival to a food of choice and comfort in many American homes. Grits have also gone upscale being featured on menus in many five-star restaurants throughout the country.
As the years passed, several Southern states passed legislation naming grits the “Official State Breakfast Food with No Sugar.” The Waffle House Museum in Norcross has a wonderful IMAX presentation on the history of grits and its benefits to that part of the human race that does not put sugar on them.
Submitted by Pasadena Phil
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