Black-eyed peas for New Year's Day
The custom and the crop's history, from extension sources.
Our reading written by Cowpea Seeds
The New Year's custom shows up in two of our extension sources. Arkansas describes Hoppin' John, a black-eyed pea dish served on New Year's Day for good luck, and Texas A&M says southern peas are often eaten on New Year's Day across the South for luck in the coming year.
Arkansas says cowpeas are thought to have originated in Africa, and Clemson likewise describes an African origin as probable. Arkansas says the cowpea traveled to Egypt as long as 3,000 years ago, and Clemson says cowpeas were introduced to the United States during early colonial times and became a staple in the Southeast. Clemson also notes that the plant is a bean, not a pea, and that its seeds can be shelled fresh, processed green or dried on the vine.
Our plain-language reading of the extension text quoted on this page. It adds no facts of its own.
The tradition
One of the more popular ways of cooking black-eyed peas is a dish called “Hoppin’ John,”
dish served on New Year’s Day for good luck.
Southern peas are often eaten on New Year’s Day throughout the South for good luck in the coming year.
Where cowpeas came from
The southern pea, also known as the cowpea, is thought to have originated in Africa, where it has been eaten for centuries. It traveled to Egypt as long as 3,000 years ago and was common to the European and Asian diets.
Cowpeas probably originated in Africa and were introduced to the United States during early colonial times. They quickly became a staple crop in the Southeast.
This member of the legume family, which is actually a bean and not a pea, produces a very nutritious crop of seeds that can be shelled and eaten fresh, processed in the green stage or allowed to dry on the vine for a dried product.
Growing your own for next New Year's
Southern peas are a summer crop. See when to plant in your state, the harvest calculator and blackeye varieties.