Black-eyed peas (and Hoppin' John) soul-food legumes

Black-eyed peas (Vigna unguiculata), also called cowpeas, are a West African legume that became a cornerstone of soul food through the transatlantic slave trade. Originating in the Sahel and West Africa, where they remain a major staple, black-eyed peas were brought to the American South aboard slave ships as provisions for enslaved Africans, who then cultivated them in plantation gardens^[1]. The legume’s drought tolerance and high protein content made it essential for survival and culinary tradition.

Hoppin’ John is the classic Carolina Lowcountry dish combining black-eyed peas with rice and smoked pork (typically ham hock or bacon). The name likely derives from the French pois pigeon (“pigeon peas”), creolized through Gullah Geechee language^[2]. The dish is traditionally slow-simmered after an overnight soak, with onion, garlic, and hot pepper (often cayenne or a whole Scotch bonnet). Black-eyed peas are distinguished from red beans and rice (Louisiana Creole, using kidney beans), Caribbean rice and peas (which uses pigeon peas, Cajanus cajan), and Indian masoor dal (red lentils, Lens culinaris, a different species entirely).

New Year’s tradition: Eating black-eyed peas on January 1 for prosperity and luck is a widespread soul-food custom, often paired with collard greens (“peas for pennies, collards for dollars”) and cornbread for gold. The practice has roots in West African and Jewish Southern traditions, with the peas symbolizing coins^[3].

Dietary notes: Traditional Hoppin’ John uses pork (ham hock, bacon, or smoked turkey), making it not halal or kosher. A growing vegan version substitutes smoked paprika and liquid smoke for pork flavor, retaining the dish’s soulful character. Black-eyed peas are naturally gluten-free and high in fiber and folate.

In Los Angeles, black-eyed peas appear on menus at soul-food and Creole institutions such as Harold & Belle’s (a Black-owned landmark since 1969) and Stevie’s Creole Cafe, where they are served as a side or in Hoppin’ John preparations.

^[1] Jessica B. Harris, High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America (Bloomsbury, 2011).
^[2] John Martin Taylor, Hoppin’ John’s Lowcountry Cooking (Bantam, 1992).
^[3] Michael W. Twitty, The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South (Amistad, 2017).