Cereals, corn grits, yellow, regular and quick, unenriched, dry

Dry yellow corn grits are coarsely ground dried corn, cooked by simmering in water or milk until they soften into a creamy porridge, the base of Southern-style grits served with butter, cheese, or shrimp, or of Italian polenta when cooked thicker and sometimes cooled and pan-fried into slices. The dry grain itself is pale yellow and gritty to the touch, and it needs extended simmering with occasional stirring to break down into a smooth, spoonable texture. Cooked grits also thicken further as they cool, so a splash of extra liquid stirred in when reheating brings them back to their original consistency.

A tablespoon of the dry grits (10 g) works out to 371 calories on a per-100 g basis, with 8.8 g protein and 79.6 g carbohydrate, protein at 18% of the daily value, and sodium essentially negligible at just 1 mg, since the grain itself is unsalted before cooking, meaning most of the sodium in a finished bowl comes from what's added at the stove. Store dry grits in a sealed container in a cool, dry pantry, where they keep well for months, and cook them low and slow with occasional stirring to avoid scorching on the bottom of the pot, whisking in liquid gradually to prevent lumps from forming.