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[at-l] The "Grit" Debate



According to some reading I have done, in the past the Scots never put butter, 
or sugar, on true oatmeal [read as "steel-cut oats", not that American import 
back to Scotland "mangled oats"].  Many old folk detested the lukewarm sweet 
mush, as they called it.

They would cook the oats with salt -- a fair amount of salt.  Cooked them 
fairly stiff.  They would serve them in one bowl, with a bowl of milk, cream, 
or buttermilk along side.  They would spoon half a spoon of piping hot oats, 
which were cooked fairly stiff, onto the tip of the spoon and dip the spoon in 
the cool milk, cream, or buttermilk, filling the back half of the spoon.

I have eaten them that way.  I rather like the contrast of temperatures, 
taste, texture, etc.

I have often wondered if the difference in how folk eat grits originates from 
where the folk who settled the area immigrated -- grits replacing oats.  Where 
did the folk in the Mississippi Delta come to the US from?  Many of the folk 
from the mountains of  SWVA, TN, NC, etc came from Scotland and northern 
England.  Much of their cooking is rather Scottish.  OTOH, the tidewater folk 
where more "Cavalier" influenced and their food was more "English."

Chainsaw

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Leslie Booher" <lbooher@pure.net>
To: "Ted A. Nichols II" <tanicholsii@comcast.net>; "Shelly Hale" 
<shellydhale@earthlink.net>
Cc: <at-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2005 9:37 AM
Subject: Re: [at-l] The "Grit" Debate


SNIP
>>
You eat oatmeal with sugar, don't you?  I don't know of anyone who eats 
oatmeal with salt and pepper, so why should we not eat grits with sugar?!
<<
SNIP