Black-Eyed Peas Food

Black-eyed peas, also called cowpeas or Crowder Peas are a pale-colored dry bean, with a black spot that gives them their name. http://www.foodreference.com/html/fblackeyedpea.html It is often considered a staple of a Southern diet as a side dish or a dish known as Hoppin' John. In the United States and particularly in the South, they are traditionally eaten on New Year's Day for good luck throughout the year.http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid:718923

Black-eyed peas possess a creamy texture and are characterized by their kidney-shaped skin and small black eye. Although they are referred to as beans, they are really peas, which is why they do not need to be pre-soaked. They are one of the most widely-distributed beans in the world.http://www.foodreference.com/html/fblackeyedpea.html

Black-eyed peas originated in North Africa and were introduced in other areas like India and Greece 3000 years ago. They came to America during the slave trade and became one of Virginia's crops in the 17th Century. After the American Civil War, they were one of the few crops spared by the Union's troops. http://peasforprosperity.com/history/peas-on-earth-the-origin-of-the-souths-famous-black-eyed-peas/ This led southerners to treat black-eyed peas as a food that represented good luck and prosperity.http://peasforprosperity.com/the-southern-black-eyed-pea-new-years-tradition/

In the 1900s, agricultural chemist George Washington Carver discovered how black-eyed peas enriched the soil they grew in with nitrogen. This discovery lead to the usage of black-eyed peas as a cover crop for improving soil.http://peasforprosperity.com/history/peas-on-earth-the-origin-of-the-souths-famous-black-eyed-peas/

In the United States, black-eyed peas are traditionally prepared with salt pork, seasonings, and cooked rice. This is the recipe known as Hoppin' John.They are often served with other southern staples, including collard greens, kale, ham, and cornbread.http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/08/hoppin-john-black-eyed-peas/ In Africa, black-eyed peas are used in a variety of different ways. Thiebou kethiah is a black-eyed pea and rice stew with pumpkin, okra, eggplant, and smoked fish. Sinan kussak is another stew with smoked fish and red palm oil. Both of these dishes originated in Senegal. In the United States, Black-eyed peas are sometimes boiled, mashed, and fried into cakes.http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/30/opinion/30harris.html