The ‘roots’ of a lucky New Year
By Jody Stump
Every Southerner, and even those Yankees who flirted with someone hailing from below the Mason-Dixon Line, knows that starting a New Year with a hearty meal of rice and beans is the culinary anodyne that wipes out the travails of the weary year gone by and portends great things for the one to come. Tradition tells us that to be truly lucky, the beans must be black-eyed and the dish must be served with some form of pork and a whole mess o’ greens. Growing up, my mother never told us why we ate this extraordinary stew just one day a year, but she watched us carefully as a hen with newborn chicks to ensure we each tasted every essential element before the year was a few hours old.
When I grew old enough to worry about the well-being of my own flock, I went in search of many origins but this one puzzled more than most. What was this mysterious magic my mother only explained by name-“Hoppin’ John”?
Some say an old Tambourine Man living in the bayou used to dance around on New Year’s Day and that locals called him Hoppin’ John. Maybe, but that doesn’t explain the meal. Another legend linked the name to a Southern tradition of children hopping around the table at New Year’s to scare away evildoers who might sneak in to spoil the party. Plausible, but what of the food? Most culinary historians credit the name to West Indian patois, which corrupted the French pois a’ pigeon, or pigeon peas to “hoppin’ john,” noting that the earliest reference to the dish is an 1834 cookbook from Louisiana. Say the phrase fast, slur the “p” and you’ve almost got to the root of it.
It turns out that Hoppin’ John is ancient African comfort food-what the slaves were used to when they lived at home-and back where they came from, the black dots on the peas were said to be the eyes of their ancestors watching over them to protect the children from harm. Add a little pork for abundance and some greens to represent the New World’s folding cash and, presto! Magic. You have a millionaire’s good fortune for a pittance in the pot.
At our house, we celebrate using the same basic recipe passed down from 1834, but like creative cooks from every generation, we add a few touches of our own. That’s the beauty of family traditions; each one is unique to its own roots. This year, why not start your own. Just add any of the options that look good to you or add whatever seems good to you. Hoppin’ John is always delicious and a great way to start the year. May your year be bountiful and beautiful.