Words by Rebecca Deurlein
Photos courtesy of Peter Frank Edwards, Marsh Hen Mills, Caroline Herring, Easy Bistro + Bar
In her distillery in Charleston, South Carolina, Ann Marshall opens her first sack of Jimmy Red corn with the anticipation of a child on Christmas morning. She plunges her hands into the ancient grains and gasps as the corn sticks to her fingers, releasing an aroma like peanut butter. Closing her fists is like forming a snowball, the lush corn oil marking a distinct difference from dry commercial corn commonly used for everything from grits and bourbon to, ahem, plastic.
Marshall joins a growing cadre of chefs and distillers working to ensure that heritage grains do not become forgotten foodways. Corn, wheat, and rice that grew in the South for thousands of years learned to survive weather, pests, and diseases. When cheaper, mass-produced alternatives prevailed, seed savers and growers who valued Southern heritage grains rescued them from the brink of extinction.
Luckily for us, we get to taste the heirlooms, these truly good grits, thanks to millers and chefs across the South who committed to keeping these genetic treasures alive.
From Mill to Table
When Greg Johnsman of Marsh Hen Mill in Edisto Island, South Carolina, met Jack Brock, a third-generation miller, Johnsman had no idea it would change his life. As he learned the craft of milling, he also learned its history.
“I valued the time, the stories, and the fellowship,” Johnsman says. “Looking back, I feel incredibly blessed to have shared moments and exchanged knowledge with so many who have come before me.”
The result is milling done the slower way to preserve the natural sugars and oils in heritage corn, grown thousands of years ago by Native Americans, and rice, cultivated by West African enslaved people in the 1700s. Modern, high-temperature roller mills process grains quickly but strip away nutrients, but stone milling—literally grinding grains between two stones—is slower and cooler, allowing grains to retain their rich flavor profile.
“We do this because so much of the story lies in tasting the heirloom grains themselves,” Johnsman says. “But I only complete a few pieces of the puzzle. The final, most important piece is handing it off so the best product can be crafted and presented in a way that does the grain justice.”
We do this because so much of the story lies in tasting the heirloom grains themselves.
Johnsman joined forces with chef Nathan Thurston to bring their heirloom grains to life through Millers All Day, a Charleston eatery so popular that an antique mill needed to be removed from the front window to make way for more seating.
While the restaurant’s grits, made from Jimmy Red corn, are a favorite side, Thurston also uses heirloom cornmeal in the waffles to give them a subtle nuttiness. Some of the waffles are then made into croutons that ultimately end up on Millers All Day’s quirky chicken and waffle salad.
“Diners definitely appreciate carefully sourced grains from a local supplier over commodity instant grits,” Thurston says.
The Johnsman-Thurston partnership is evidence that the real magic happens when you bring properly milled heritage grains into dishes that best showcase their flavor.
From Middlins to Showstoppers
If a Southerner describes their day as “fair to middlin’,” they pretty much mean it’s meh. But there’s nothing meh about rice middlins, especially with today’s chefs using them in everything from grits to puddings.
Chef Joe Milenkovic experiments with creative ways to incorporate middlins into his Italian-Southern fusion fare at Easy Bistro in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and he does so with intention. “I’m really careful with how I play with Southern food,” he says. “I don’t want to appropriate anyone’s food, but I think it’s important to pay homage to the South.”
Enslaved West Africans in the South were the first to see the value in middlins, broken pieces of rice that fall off during hulling. While enslavers made money on whole grains, enslaved communities treasured middlins, which later became a staple in Gullah Geechee cuisine. Creative sauces brought out the flavors in middlins, and it was soon discovered that these broken grains lent the perfect creaminess to grits.
Today, Milenkovic is devoted to preserving this grain and enjoys experimenting with some twists on the traditional. He began with grits, and then his wife and pastry chef Estela created a unique middlins pudding garnished with mango and fig leaf oil. He’s since substituted whole-grain rice with middlins in his polenta and risotto, and while he says there’s a slight difference in the way the pieces absorb water, it’s just like cooking with other forms of rice.
Milenkovic praises Anson Mills, arguably the most well-known milling company in the South, for keeping his job interesting. “They’re just the gold standard for heirloom Southern grains,” he says. “Almost single-handedly, they have saved these genetics and made them relevant, and they’ve built huge trust in the chef community.”
Chefs and Millers agree that trying unfamiliar grains is the only way to discover your next favorite food.
Thanks to Anson Mills’ diverse inventory, Milenkovic is having a ball sampling heirlooms such as Austrian winter peas, typically a cover crop that has gone uneaten for years. They’re now the main ingredient in Easy Bistro’s hummus.
He also sources benne seed, an heirloom variety of sesame seed and a staple in Lowcountry cuisines rooted in Gullah and Geechee traditions, and farro piccolo, a nutty ancient grain considered one of the earliest forms of wheat.
From Seed to Spirit
“When people walk into a liquor store, they’re not thinking about agriculture, but the whole store relies entirely on farming,” says Ann Marshall, owner of High Wire Distilling in Charleston, South Carolina.
That was never clearer than when Marshall opened her first bag of Jimmy Red corn from Anson Mills and realized she was about to create her best batch of bourbon whiskey yet.
As the corn became mash, Marshall’s excitement grew. Her first whiff reminded her of peanut brittle, and through every step of the distilling process, the aromas only heightened. It ended in a spirit ripe with marzipan flavors and cherry almond notes, and she says that even bourbon tasters who are obsessed with big brands love it. They also appreciate the innovation that comes from small brands using heritage grains.
“It’s all an exploration of flavor,” she says. “There are around 50,000 varietals of corn in this world, and in your day-to-day life, you might encounter three. I’d much rather use products that have regionality, contribute to the South, expand flavor palates, and open people’s minds to what is possible.”
Where to Begin with Heritage Grains
Curiosity might have killed the cat, but we humans thrive on it. Chefs and millers agree that trying unfamiliar grains is the only way to discover your next favorite food. And it doesn’t have to be intimidating.
“Buy something you’re mostly unfamiliar with but is similar to something you’ve worked with before,” Milenkovic says. For instance, substitute middlins for arborio the next time you make risotto, or experiment with grits made from heritage grains.
Marshall adds, “When you buy, seek out grains that have sustained generations for thousands of years. Look beyond what’s being mass-produced and purchase, instead, what’s been dismissed. Your flavor experience will pay you back in dividends.”
More Places to Taste Heritage Grains
Audrey
Nashville, Tennessee
Named in honor of James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef Sean Brock’s Appalachian grandmother, Audrey showcases heritage corn in everything from ham hock pudding to ice cream.
Town Hall
Florence, South Carolina
Carolina Plantation rice and other heritage grains complement locally sourced, seasonal ingredients.
Nancy’s Hustle
Houston, Texas
Recently named one of the “Top 15 US Restaurants, According to the Experts” by Food & Wine, Nancy’s grains are sourced from Barton Springs Mill, which supplies grains to 60 other restaurants across Texas.
Red Fiddle Vittles
Asheville, North Carolina
This Appalachian market and catering service will set you up with some great home cooking, including blueberry polenta cake made with Farm & Sparrow grains.
Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro
Townsend, Tennessee
Order the pink-eyed purple hull peas, an heirloom variety served with country ham as part of the pork belly hopping John entree.
Husk
Multiple locations: Charleston, South Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; and Savannah, Georgia
Another brainchild of chef Sean Brock, Husk now has three locations across the South, each with seasonal menus designed around locally sourced heirloom ingredients. These evolving menus feature heritage grains and reflect the specific foodways of each region.
