Visit an authentic grist mill and see if you like the taste of Southern grits:
One of only two or three remaining operative in North Carolina, the Dellinger Grist mill is owned and operated by N.C. State graduate Jack Dellinger. He is a retired computer programmer who helped to create the software used to put the first American astronauts on the moon. Four miles east of Bakersville, NC, the 130-year-old Dellinger Grist Mill in the village of Hawk has been grinding cornmeal for four generations.
Founded by Reuben Dellinger in 1867 and renovated by his great-grandson Jack Dellinger beginning in 1997, the mill was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. From June to November, Dellinger operates the mill according to his family’s tradition, producing cornmeal the old-fashioned way. He also provides demonstrations and free tours of the mill. For Dellinger, operating the mill isn’t a profitable venture but more of a serious hobby. “I love to run the old mill, I guess I am mostly a preservationist. I love the old machinery and to tell the tales of my ancestors to visitors and tourists. Sometimes I think I must be crazy to run that mill,” he admits. “But shoot, I enjoy it, even if it is 90 percent manual labor and 10 percent expertise.”
Of course anywhere in the South, you can pull into a small diner and order up a plate or bowl of grits, any time of day, because this corn concoction is the staple of southerners. But chances are you will be served grits from a modern mill, that are easy and convenient to cook by just adding boiling water.