Do you hate grits? Here are a few reasons to give the Lowcountry staple another try

Grits: the best — or worst — part of a Lowcountry meal, depending on your tastebuds.

The controversy behind grits is as old as the dish itself, first crafted by Native Americans in the 16th century. You either love them or you hate them.

Even if you do love them, it’s one of those dishes that might have to grow on you first. Many people — especially those from above the Mason-Dixon Line — will find grits “disgusting,” but maybe that’s because they haven’t tried the real thing.

I know I turned my nose up for YEARS at the mushy meal.

Sure, I liked applesauce and oatmeal just fine, but I refused to even stand within three feet of a bowl of grits. They were just way too bland and messy for my liking.

Then one day, my Granny sat me down and forced me to shovel down a bowl with some bacon, sausage and eggs.

She changed my life that day.

You see, the grits I’d had were nothing but Quaker oats and Great Value instant grits. But the way my granny added butter, a bit of cream and complemented it with usual breakfast fare made it worthwhile.

True Southerners dress up their grits with shrimp, country steak, gravy, cheese, or the traditional butter, cream, salt and pepper combo. If you don’t, you’re basically committing a Southern sin.

One NPR reporter noted how it wasn’t until they tried grits in a restaurant setting that they saw their beauty.

White vs. Yellow

The consensus about the difference in taste of the two grits is, honestly, none.

What truly brings out the flavor is the butter, cream and spices used in most restaurant-cooked grits — and arguably the kind your Granny or Nana likes to make.

Leslie Rohland, owner of The Cottage Cafe, Bakery & Tea Room in Bluffton admitted she uses yellow stone-ground grits simply based on the color.

“It just looks better,” she said.

Some will still argue that yellow grits tend to be sweeter, but the truth?

What truly brings out the flavor is what you add to it.

As for the color, cheese and butter make a traditional white grit dish into a yellowish hue.

Which kind do you use?

Even among South Carolina chefs, it’s largely a matter of personal preference when it comes to using yellow or white grits.

At the Blue Marlin in Columbia, executive chef Megan Horton said she uses stone-ground white grits.

At first glance, you might think you’re getting the same instant grits you’d get at Kroger’s at the Blue Marlin.

But one bite into the Blue Marlin’s shrimp and grits — among the best in town — and you’ll realize just how wrong you were.

“Customers come in and say, ‘I don’t like grits,’ but the minute they have the upgraded stuff it’s much better,’” Horton said.

The Columbia restaurant must be doing something right because they sell around 20 gallons of grits a day.

Grits alone are nothing but a bland mess, but that also makes it a blank canvas where foodies and chefs can create something new.

Add in some spice

Grits aren’t used as just a side item in the South, though.

Rohland said that at The Cottage, grits are even used in desserts such as tomato pie and Tuscan sunshine olive oil cake.

Even looking at a list of shrimp and grits recipes, you won’t find one that doesn’t mention adding in a lil’ something extra to make it the perfect, creamy breakfast, lunch or dinner.

At the Blue Marlin, Tuscon chicken flavoring, milk or a heavy cream and salt are the key ingredients to their grits, Horton said.

You won’t find butter or cheese in her grits, but customers can customize their plate once it hits the table, she said.

And that’s honestly the true beauty of grits — you can make it any way you like and you’ll never run out of creative ways to liven up your morning grits.

Rohland herself didn’t try grits until she moved to Bluffton in 1999, but once she did, she fell in love with them.

Today, she likes to make and eat her grits firm with butter, cheese and hot sauce.

Personally, all I need is for my Granny to visit and cook me grits with butter, cream and salt with bacon, eggs and sausage on the side.

This story was originally published August 24, 2018 at 12:41 PM with the headline "Do you hate grits? Here are a few reasons to give the Lowcountry staple another try."