大象传媒

Grits can be found at Lupe Pinto's in Bruntsfield, Edinburgh. This Mexican-American shop cured me of homesickness many a time with corn meal, oreo cookies, dried chiles, and grits.

You can get instant grits in the foodhall at Selfridges, Gavin. They're pretty horrible if you ask me, though.

Grits are really nothing more than a southern polenta. If you can find cornmeal (I'm sure they have that on your side of the pond), then you can make grits.

The Scots are big men because they eat porridge, and drink whisky. The American Southerners are big because they eat grits, and drink southerncomfort whisky. There must be a lot of testosterone in yellow malt water, and ground corn!

As a New Yorker, I am glad you enjoyed New York City bagels. I would not get bagels anywhere else in America. The secret is in the water. Water? Yes, there is something magical about good old fashioned New York City tap water that not only makes the best bagels in the country, but also the best pizza as well (although Chicago may beg to differ). There can be no denying what it does to the dough, the prime ingredient in both. Fluffy, moist, and flavorful.

Now if the UK can share some more of their excellent bitter beers with us . . . .

Sorry.. but no self respecting Brit can possible like Grits.. and they are nothing even close to porridge. I think you have been away too long..

I am a former 'southern boy' and I agree. A bowl of grits is a great way to start the day. I hope you find a source in the UK. Best, JC

Hurrah! I grew up in the Southern US and it's great to hear from another grit lover.

I'm glad you found a taste for our humble little corn mush. Once grits are done up right, there's nothing quite like them.

I鈥檒l gladly sit down to chicken-fried steak smothered in red-eye gravy, deep-fried grits, and hush puppies with a side of grease. No surprise you鈥檇 douse Porridge with a 鈥渢ot of whisky鈥� after it had spent the night in a 鈥減orridge drawer,鈥� and eat a brick of the stuff standing up! Could be a soulfood/Scottish crossover here: Hogshead cheese on saltines w hot sauce & beer. But do Brits really stand a chance against Tongue, Chittlin's, or Tripe?

At best, grits make you warm on a cold morning. Grits were oringinally horsefood, back in the day, used to keep them feeling fed. They have very little nutritional value.

Gavin, if you have any Tanzanian friends, ask them about uji - it's a kind of porridge made from millet flour. You mix the flour with water, milk, yogurt, butter and sugar. It is an acquired taste for non-native, but I love it from the very beginning! You should check it out!

It may hearten you to know that corn and potatoes are usually the main choice to fatten cattle. Porridge is far better - Non-Scot in Scotland

You must really not know much about America if you think Eggs Benedict is a definitive breakfast item here. Only in restaurants do you ever even see it (nobody makes it at home), and even then it's not ordered all that frequently. More appropriately, American breakfast is defined by colorful boxes of sugar with names like "Cap'n Crunch" and "Count Chocula". Mmmm... Count Choooooocula. (Insert pleasant childhood memory here.)

You *are* correct, though, in the nutritional characterization - those aforementioned cereals may by yummy (oh, they're yummy alright!), but nutritionally speaking you might as well be eating tree bark. Except the bark won't rot the teeth out of your head.

Anyway, glad you liked the grits, and have fun finding some on your side of the water!

I guess I should have read this entry BEFORE following the links! Glad you liked grits, stay away from "homony" grits though or you might wish you had. Good luck with finding them across the pond. Hey, there's always Amazon.com, they sell grits (if you can believe it).

To Gavin Esler--
I am originally from the South and grits remain a happy childhood memory, though I have now converted to morning porridge (organic of course!). I will be happy to bring you back a substantial package of the real grits--not instant-- on my next visit back to USA. It is the least I can do to express appreciation for the continuing high quality broadcasts of Newsnight. PS am thrilled to finally see the back of so many egregious Republican politicians

I must say that I'm jealous that you're going to be having a nice English Breakfast soon. I was only living in the UK for 6 months, but going out to breakfast will never be the same.

You can get grits at cybercandy.co.uk they also have a shop in London and another in Brighton. As an American living in England, I searched and searched until I found a place to get all my American favorites.

#12 S Yogendra: corn and potatoes are usually the main choice to fatten cattle. Porridge is far better

Don't forget, the 3 Bears in GoldyLocks were very big on porridge.