by Patricia Kennedy
This is an easy dish and after the parties and hearty food of the holiday season, it's nice to have a simple dish. Yes, I know that it was always a rather grudging obligation on the part of you boys to partake of this holiday dish, but you always were good sports.
As I understand, several of you have used this recipe at your own New Year's feasts. It is a Texas tradition - more than that, it is an old southern tradition going back to the plantation days.
It was said to be brought with the slaves from Africa. It kept well on board ships and was easy to prepare for the slaves. Black-eyed peas seemed to have first arrived in Jamaica in 1675 and were carried to the southern British plantation colonies of the Carolinas and Virginia by the 18th century.
Actually, the origin of black-eyed peas is not Africa, but India. How did it get to Africa from India? Well, of course, by merchants who traveled to Arabia and finally on to Africa.
How did it become associated with New Year's Day in the South? One source suggested that it showed "humility" in a person's character, and it was good for the soul to be humble.
Now that you have had your dose of history for the day, here is the recipe. (You see why I am having so much fun with this website - I get to mix my history with my food.)
Editor's note: Patricia Kennedy is a Professor of History.
Click here to see the recipe.
