Grits are coarsely ground corn (maize). Yellow grits or corn grits are made from whole corn kernels, and include the hulls. White grits are made from corn that is first dehulled. Grits are prepared by simply boiling. It is similar in texture to Italian polenta (which is made from ground whole-kernel corn). It is also similar to farina, which is marketed in the United States by Kraft Foods under the trademark Cream of Wheat.

It is a characteristic food of the U.S. southern states, eaten either as a breakfast cereal or a side dish at a noon or evening meal.

Grits can be eaten in a variety of ways:

• With butter
• With butter, salt and pepper
• With gravy
• With butter, milk, and brown sugar (more typical of the Midwest US than the South)
• With cheese cooked in
• With cheese and over easy eggs mixed in
• With sugar

See also: grist mill, Sweet Tea, United States Regional Cuisine

GRITS is colloquial for "girls raised in the South" in the U.S.

In Canada, Grits is a slang term for members of the Liberal Party of Canada or the provincial Liberal parties. It refers back to the foundation of the party, which was described as being for "men of clear grit". (See Clear Grits.)