Forget champagne—in the Southern United States, hoppin’ John is standard New Year’s fare. This simple, delicious dish of peas, pork and rice has graced holiday tables since the 1800s. Although it’s believed to bring luck and peace in the coming year to anyone who eats it, hoppin’ John’s history is anything but peaceful. What’s the story behind this New Year’s tradition?
The first recipes for hoppin’ John appear in cookbooks that date back to the 1840s, although the mixture of dried peas, rice and pork was made by enslaved people in the South long before then. It seems to have originated in the Low Country of South Carolina, an area where plantation owners searched long and hard for a crop that would flourish in the hot, muggy weather. Rice grew well in the river deltas, so it was a natural choice, but the white farmers had no real experience with cultivating rice on a large scale. Enter the slave trade and enslaved West Africans who had grown rice for generations.
Although any type of dried peas can be used for hoppin’ John, the black-eyed pea is the most traditional. This pea happens to have been domesticated in West Africa, which led to the belief that enslaved Africans took the peas with them, planted them in their new surroundings and created a dish that would remind them of their lost homes. This is probably only partly true. Newly abducted Africans were lucky to have clothes on their backs, and they certainly weren’t encouraged or even allowed to bring sacks of planting grain along with them. What is more likely is that slave traders saw black-eyed peas as an economical and easy way to feed their cargo.
The origins of the name “hoppin’ John” are slightly less clear. Some say an old, hobbled man called hoppin’ John became known for selling peas and rice on the streets of Charleston. Others say slave children hopped around the table in eager anticipation of the dish. Most food historians think the name derives from a French term for dried peas, “pois pigeons.”
It’s also uncertain why the dish became associated with New Year’s and good luck. The most likely story is that enslaved people would often have the period between Christmas and New Year’s off, since no crops were growing at that time. hoppin’ John was, and still is, often eaten with collard greens, which can resemble paper money, and “golden” cornbread. The peas themselves represent coins. Some families boost the potential of their hoppin’ John by placing a penny underneath the dishes—or adding extra pork, which is thought to bring more luck.
Our modern hoppin’ John eschews pork in favor of smoked turkey thighs, which bring flavor but less fat to the meal. We add jalapeños and red bell pepper for a bit of color and spice, and serve the whole thing atop freshly steamed white rice.
FAQs
In the southern United States, eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day is thought to bring a prosperous year filled with luck. The peas are symbolic of pennies or coins, and a coin is sometimes added to the pot or left under the dinner bowls.
What is the symbolism of Hoppin John? ›
And our tastiest superstitious tradition is eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day. This classic Southern dish, a one-pot meal of black-eyed peas, ham hock, and rice, is believed by many (not just the Sterlings) to ensure wealth and bring good luck in the upcoming year.
What is a fun fact about Hoppin John? ›
Some say an old, hobbled man called hoppin' John became known for selling peas and rice on the streets of Charleston. Others say slave children hopped around the table in eager anticipation of the dish. Most food historians think the name derives from a French term for dried peas, “pois pigeons.”
What is a Hoppin John New Year's dinner? ›
Hoppin' John is a Southern American dish made with black-eyed peas, rice, and smoked pork, often served on New Year's Day for good luck. It is believed to bring prosperity and good fortune to those who eat it.
What are you supposed to eat with black-eyed peas on New Year's Day? ›
Cornbread, often served with black-eyed peas and greens, represents gold. For the BEST chance of luck every day in the year ahead, one must eat exactly 365 black-eyed peas, no more or less. Black-eyed peas eaten with stewed tomatoes represent wealth and health.
Is Hoppin John an African dish? ›
It was originally created by the Gullah people, an African-American ethnic group in the coastal low-country of the southeastern United States. Hoppin' John was usually made from Black-eyed peas, which originated in Africa, chopped onion, and salt.
What state is Hoppin John from? ›
The African roots of the dish can be traced to the antebellum rice culture of the South Carolina Lowcountry, where peas and rice have been cooked together for centuries. Tradition dictates that a side of collard greens representing paper money be served with Hoppin' John to ensure prosperity in the coming year.
Why do people eat black-eyed peas on New Year's? ›
But, why is that? According to author and food scholar Adrian Miller, eating black eyed peas on New Years Eve or New Years Day promises good luck, health, and abundance. The bean has taken the form of good fortune and has even adopted a few different aliases along the way.
What is the lucky food for 2024? ›
There are several sticky rice dishes in the Philippines but our favorite lucky foods for 2024 are the classic bibingka and puto bumbong. Here's a bibingka recipe that's made extra creamy and flavorful using Knorr Ginataang Gulay Recipe Mix.
What is the traditional black New Year's meal? ›
So this January 1st, just like many other Southern and Black families, we will have a bowl of black-eyed peas, collard greens and cornbread to start the new year off right. As my dad says, “Tradition and culture. It's who we are.”
Black-eyed Peas & Cabbage
Others say it started during the Civil War in Vicksburg, Virginia. The town ran out of food while under siege and the inhabitants were lucky enough to discover cow peas (a.k.a., black-eyed peas). Meanwhile, cabbage leaves are thought to bring prosperity to those who eat them on New Year's Day.
What is the significance of black-eyed peas for New Year's? ›
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day has been a tradition held by families for decades, but where did it first come from? Let's connect the dots. According to author and food scholar Adrian Miller, eating black-eyed peas for the holiday is said to bring good luck, health and abundance.
What is the traditional New Year's Day menu? ›
Greens, pork, and cornbread, as well as black-eyed peas, cowpeas, or beans, are some of the typical symbolic foods served on New Year's Day. When planning your dinner menu, add the Southern foods that some say bring good luck and avoid those that may do just the opposite in the new year.
What is the new year's tradition with black beans and rice? ›
Some scholars believe these dishes came from enslaved Black people and spread to everyone in the South. “The rice and beans, they represent bringing prosperity into the house for the new year,” says Opie. “Rice, in many societies, says to people prosperity, not only in terms of money, but also children.
