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There's a good reason that stone-ground grits are always turning up at restaurants specializing in New Southern cooking. They taste better than the mass-produced kind. In fact, you could say stone-ground grits are to instant grits what whole-wheat bread is to white bread.
The difference is the process. The corn in mass-produced grits is steamed to remove the hull, then dried and milled on fast-moving metal burrs to remove the germ. The corn in stone-ground grits is milled much more slowly and retains the heart of the kernel (which has most of the nutritional value). You can see the difference in the uncooked grits.
Stone-ground looks grainy with speckles of bran and bits of kernel; mass- produced looks like sand.
Stone-ground grits are more bother, however. They take longer to cook - at least 20 minutes - and need to be stored in the refrigerator because they contain no preservatives.
Here's a sampling of Southeastern mills that sell stone-ground grits by mail. A two-pound bag costs from 75 cents to $2.50.
- Adams Old-Fashioned Whole Heart Grits. The Adams family has been milling corn on the banks of Alabama's Choctawhatchee River since 1935. You can buy their grits under the Callaway Gardens Country Store label (800-282-8181) or directly from the mill: Adams Milling Co., Route 6, Box 148A, Dothan, Ala. 36303. 205-983-4233.
- Falls Mill White Corn Grits. Jane and John Lovett sell grits to several restaurants in Charleston and Savannah. Their 120-year-old mill, down the road from the Jack Daniels distillery, is open for touring. Falls Mill and Country Store, 134 Falls Mill Road, Belvidere, Tenn. 37306. 615-469-7161.
- Fielder's Old-Fashioned Water-Ground White Grits. Mike Buckner ships a lot of grits gift packages this time of year. The family mill, between Macon and Columbus, was built in 1840 and is open for tours. Fielder's Mill, Route 1, Box 76, Junction City, Ga. 31812. 706-269-3630.
- Georgia Agrirama Country Store Grits. The Agrirama, a living history museum, grinds corn on a century-old mill moved from Worth County. Agrirama Country Store, P.O. Box Q, Tifton, Ga. 31793. 912-386-3876.
- Ledford's Corn Grits. This mill offers 1-cup samplers for all those Yankee tourists who are dubious about grits. The Peabody Hotel in Memphis serves these grits. Ledford Mill and Museum, Route 2, Box 152, Wartrace, Tenn. 37183. 615-455-1935.
- Logan Turnpike Old-Fashioned Speckled Grits. The grittiest grind around, Logan grits require rinsing before cooking. Chefs love the stuff.
- You can get it by the bag at Atlanta farmers markets (Harry's, Dekalb, International, Little Giants), by the dish at restaurants (South City Kitchen, Indigo Coastal Grill) or by mail from: Logan Turnpike Farm, 7910 Fisher Field Road, Blairsville, Ga. 30512. 706-745-5735.
- Nora Mill Speckled Grits. The folks at this 117-year-old mill call their grits "Dixie Ice Cream." You can try a lick at the mill, on the banks of the Chattahoochee River near Helen, or buy a sack at most Cracker Barrels, Touch of Georgia stores and the Georgia Grand General Emporium in Underground Atlanta. There's a Nora Mill cookbook, too. Nora Mill Granary, P.O. Box 41, Sautee, Ga. 30571. 800-927-2375.
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