612150 Tue Apr 14 23:46:09 -0700 2009 10 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 4596979 a recent thread on the SF bay area board brought my attention to the availability of blue corn grits. it's an anson mills product, but new to me. i grabbed about a pound in bulk and probably won't have a chance to cook them for a few days, but i was just curious what other people have to say about them. because it's anson mills, i'm pretty confident in the quality of the product, but i'm wondering if the only difference is its color. i just ate a blue masa quesadilla last week at a fairly new, much hyped upscale mexican restaurant here in san francisco, and while it was good (and small and overpriced but...back to topic), i didn't taste any significant difference. it was a good, fresh tortilla, but would it have tasted the same if made from regular corn? so anyone have anything to say about blue grits? yay? nay? meh? as an aside, i remember visiting one of my cousins in georgia years ago and she revealed that she preferred to cook...yellow grits. there were gasps of shock going around the table. "what? yeller grits?!" she nodded serenely. "first had them on a trip to charleston." people ruffled their brows and said, almost as a challenge, "well...maybe you should cook up some of them yeller grits tomorrow for breakfast....?" and she did and was happy to see me shovel it down. but i wasn't one of the doubters. i just figured she had a superior product to the instant stuff so many people have resorted to. anyways the whole point is that, quality of product? or flavor variations in different types of corn? Tue Apr 14 23:46:09 -0700 2009 27741 augustiner 1 4597149 I use 3 types of "corn" in my corn products.From near mills my options are white,blue and yellow in various grinds.It is doubtful you will notice any flavor difference.But is likely textures will vary a bit.Size of kernel,water and sugar content play a role in milling.Also age and storage of the product.As it is April ,you purchased "old" crop,how it has been stored in the interim can vary the dryness etc. I would think local water and seasoning choices would cancel any very subtle "corn" variations Wed Apr 15 04:53:51 -0700 2009 4596979 203919 lcool 2 4598376 I agree. There isn't going to be much difference in flavor. The colors are more of a novelty. Why have shrimp and regular grits (booooring) when you can say you have shrimp over BLUE CORN grits! Ooooh! How exciting does that sound?!?!? Perhaps we'll charge an extra $3 for it! ;-) For a sampler, there are very often blue corn tortilla chips in the grocery store. At least down here in Atlanta, we have Tostitos brand just about everywhere. They are often a little harder on the tooth but that's probably because they have less fat in the mix (they are often marketed as a healthier and/or organic alternative) but that's just a guess. Have fun. Wed Apr 15 11:25:00 -0700 2009 4597149 280462 Squirrels 1 4600153 That may not be an Anson Mills product. There is no mention of blue grits on their website, either in retail or wholesale volume. And nothing in their newsletters or media clips. http://www.ansonmillsdirecttochefs.com/direct-to-chefs-1.htm Let us know how they turn out. Check out the notes on the Anson Mill website re the differences between white and "yeller" grits and the types of corn used for regular and hominy grits, and polenta. Wed Apr 15 21:57:52 -0700 2009 4596979 32444 MakingSense 2 4602735 i just checked the site, and there is no mention of blue corn. but the label on the bulk bin at the shop clearly said anson mills blue corn grits. i suppose i could call either the company or the store, but i haven't even had a chance to cook them up yet, so... Thu Apr 16 17:15:11 -0700 2009 4600153 27741 augustiner 3 4606993 This is really odd. Anson Mills usually touts their new introductions on their website and in their newsletter. No mention of it. Some of their products aren't available at retail but are sold to chefs in larger quantities but there's nothing there either. Anson Mill products have a link to Low Country/Southern heritage and that may be the disconnect. Was blue corn ever grown commercially there? Perhaps this was a small batch grown as an experiment or something. They do a lot of development work with Clemson and other universities, organic growers, etc. It could be that they did it and decided that it didn't fit Anson Mills' overall marketing profile. Sat Apr 18 10:55:17 -0700 2009 4602735 32444 MakingSense 4 4615210 not so sure as I also have a bag,it appears easy to find in DC Tue Apr 21 11:23:30 -0700 2009 4606993 203919 lcool 5 4615435 Where did you find it? The last time I spoke with Glen Roberts, he told me that they no longer had a retail outlet in DC. I'd love to be able to get their products locally and skip the shipping costs. Their grits are like crack. Tue Apr 21 12:12:38 -0700 2009 4615210 32444 MakingSense 6 4617697 I can't remember.We just moved.My time line is good, I purchased it after the first of February.When I remember where I'll let you know. Call around ,a general wholesaler may stock it.RICHFOOD or SYSCO may explain my find Wed Apr 22 07:23:52 -0700 2009 4615435 203919 lcool 1 4606696 Hot, fresh blue maize tortillas in highland Chiapas do taste different - and to me better - than their equally hot and fresh yelllow brothers. Sat Apr 18 08:12:42 -0700 2009 4596979 36661 Sam Fujisaka 1 5139570 If you want organic blue grits, you can get them online from Alabama. I've used them before and like them, though I am no longer in Alabama. You can also find them in supermarkets in Birmingham. Here is the link: http://www.mcewenandsons.com/category.php?id=1 I also have been researching grits places recently, so you can check out my blog post at: http://specialmagickitchen.com/archives/1343. I have tried to summarize forum recommendations, my own, and cooking magazine suggestions. Thu Oct 29 04:36:39 -0700 2009 4596979 1116292 smkit