Let’s untangle the corn family. Cornmeal, polenta, and grits are all just dried field corn ground to different textures. Grits are traditionally from hominy (corn treated with an alkali like lye), which gives them that creamy, slightly nutty flavor. Cornmeal skips the lye bath, so it tastes more like sweet, plain corn itself.
Fun fact: In Italy, they don’t have grits—they have polenta, which is essentially coarse cornmeal. So, if you’ve ever made polenta, you’ve already made grits in disguise. The cultural crossover is real: both are comfort foods that cradle butter, cheese, or gravy like a warm blanket.
