America's age-old culinary love - grits, has found its roots deep in the Southern culture. Originating from the Native Americans, the simple corn porridge was adopted by the early settlers in Virginia and has remained a beloved dish ever since. According to Billy Reid, an Alabama-based fashion designer, "Folks in the South start eating grits young," he points out, "You learn to love them as a kid and it never goes away."

Having grown from a simple breakfast treat, grits have found their way onto the most sophisticated dining tables far and wide. What follows are some mouthwatering adaptations from expert chefs, adding a modern twist to the tradition.

Chef Amber Huffman introduces a Southern twist by combining sharp cheddar and barbecue shrimp with old-fashioned grits. In the heart of New Orleans, Chef Michael Gulotta slow cooks succulent beef top round to serve with savoury cheesy grits and a rich gravy. Tiffany Derry even suggests reusing leftover grits with crispy breadcrumbs and a smoky tomato sauce to achieve an innovative texture and depth.

Celebrated artist Alecia Moore, more famously known as Pink, has a delectable recipe that brings out the sweetheart corn’s flavor through an unusual seasoning. In a different experiment, Chef Michael Reed cooks shrimp shells along with vegetables and herbs to create a shellfish stock, the ultimate sauce for cheesy grits topped with pan-seared shrimp.

Other innovators create captivating dishes like the creamy baked cheddar casserole from designer Billy Reid using stone-ground grits or southern grits with corn and the intriguing twist of kimchi from Chef Hugh Acheson. Chef Bobby Flay presents a delightful blend of hot grits with cheese, garlic and bacon, inspired by Savannah cook Martha Nesbit. He also experiments with pimiento cheese in his creamy grits recipe.

From Jeff McInnis’s fresh twist on grits using corn and shrimp to Alexander Smalls’s decadent crabmeat and shrimp gravy over thick rice grits, there are endless ways to enjoy this Southern staple. Isaac Toups’s savory Cajun-spiced shrimp over creamy grits and Brad Kilgore’s creamy, chorizo-like milk and cheese grits also testify to its vast potential. Kathryn Douglas and Douglas Keane experiment with sautéed porcini and sherry broth, while Daniel Orr adds fresh scallions to create an enticing dish.

Grits fanatic Chef Sarah Simmons adds Parmesan to her 40-minute stone-ground grits that perfectly complements short ribs or pork tenderloin. With such many tantalizing variations coming from all corners, it's no wonder that America's love for grits has far from faded – instead, it's reaching new gourmet heights.