Food Lens Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Food Lens · Pantry
Grits
Mild and corn-forward on its own, taking on a creamy texture once cooked.
Lens analyzedGrits are coarsely ground corn, cooked into a thick, creamy porridge that's a breakfast and side-dish staple across the American South. They're milled from dried corn kernels, either regular or hominy, at a coarser grind than cornmeal used for baking. A pot of grits takes on whatever's stirred into it, from butter and cheese to shrimp and gravy.
Where it comes from
Grits descend from a corn-grinding technique Indigenous peoples in the American Southeast used long before European settlers arrived, later adopted and spread through Southern cooking. They remain most closely associated with Southern breakfast tables today, though they're sold in grocery stores well beyond that region.
Buying it
Check whether the package is quick-cooking, regular, or stone-ground, since cook times and texture differ a lot between them, with stone-ground taking the longest but offering the most texture.
Storing it
The dry package holds up fine in a regular pantry cupboard, no special humidity control needed. Just keep it sealed once opened so the ground corn doesn't pick up moisture or pantry odors.
Keeps about 1 year in the pantry.
Recipes that use grits
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