Grits

Grits is a porridge made from coarsely ground dried corn, either plain maize meal or hominy, corn treated with an alkali in a process called nixtamalization to remove the pericarp. It is cooked in water or milk and is strongly associated with the cuisine of the southern United States, most famously in the dish shrimp and grits, though it is eaten nationwide as a breakfast or side dish in both savory and sweet preparations. Some Italian American communities in the South substituted grits for polenta in traditional Italian recipes, noting the similarity between the two coarse corn porridges.