The Nitty Gritty

* Grits are ground dried kernels of corn. Dried, hulled corn kernels are commonly called hominy, after an Indian word, rockahominie . The Indians greeted the early settlers with bowls of hominy, which helped sustain them through their first years in the New World. Corn grew readily in the South and Midwest, and its products were widely used in those areas.

* There are several varieties of grits: stone-ground or “speckled heart” grits, which contain both the germ and the hull, giving the grits a more pronounced flavor, hearty texture and longer cooking time; regular grits, ground from corn kernels with the outer hull and germ removed; quick grits, which have been steamed and compressed to break them into small particles that cook quickly, and instant grits, which have been even more highly processed.

* If you’re wondering whether the word grits is singular or plural, the answer is yes. It can be used both ways, although the plural certainly sounds better to the ear, and seems more sensible. However, in his documentary, “It’s Grits,” Stan Woodward discovered that half the people he interviewed said “grits is” and the other half said “grits are.”

* Americans consume more than 63 million pounds of grits a year. In St. George, S.C., home of the World Grits Festival, the town’s 2,300 residents purchase an average of 1,800 pounds of grits a week.

* Regular or quick grits are available in all 50 states, although they may not be available in all cities.

* Stone-ground grits can be mail-ordered from one of the following mills (send a self-addressed stamped envelope to get price information):

The Old Mill at Guilford, 1340 NC68 North, Oak Ridge, N.C. 27310, (919) 643-4783; Adams Milling Co., Route 6, Box 148A, Napier Field Station, Dothan, Ala. 36303, (800) 239-4233; Georgia Agrirama, P.O. Box Q, Tifton, Ga. 31793, (912) 386-3344; Falls Mill & Country Store, 134 Falls Mill Road, Belvidere, Tenn. 37306, (615) 469-7161.