Question: What is the name of the Southern dish traditionally eaten on New Year’s Day that is made with black-eyed peas, rice, and either ham, sausage, or bacon?
Answer: Hoppin’ John. The dish originated among the Gullah people, descendants of West and Central Africans who were enslaved in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. It is often served with collard greens and cornbread, symbolizing wealth and prosperity. The greens were meant to represent paper money, while the cornbread represented gold.
