That passing American referred to in the original post was no doubt a Yankee, judging from the comment that grits were widely considered to taste awful. In the South or even in the near South, grits are certainly one of the staples of life. I certainly mean no disrespect to Northerners, but they couldn't be counted on to give an accurate assessment of the value of grits to Southern culture, (and the Southern breakfast!) any more than we could discuss Crown Pilot Crackers or Upper Peninsula pasties with any degree of objectivity or accuracy.

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