Counting Peas
January 4, 2024
Our friends with culinary ties to the South made their annual pilgrimage to buy smoked pork jowl from our farm last week. The jowl is traditionally cooked with collard greens, black-eyed-peas and served with cornbread. All of which are believed to bring good luck and prosperity in the New Year. The meal served either at midnight, or on New Year’s Day, has many iterations across the South and very specific ingredients and traditions surrounding each variation. I can’t keep track of them all but the gist of it is that the black-eyed-peas are considered a “lowly food” and eating them shows humility - which in turn will be recognized and rewarded by God.
The color of the collard greens symbolizes money, and the color of the cornbread symbolizes gold.
Hogs represent prosperity, because historically, if you owned a hog, your family would have plenty of food for the winter. Also, because pigs can’t turn their heads to look over their shoulder, they symbolize a “forward looking” nature which is perfect for the start of a new year, and of progress towards one’s goals.
Out of curiosity I ask everyone who purchases our jowl how they cook it and how they celebrate the New Year. Everyone seems very happily committed and amused by their family’s interpretation of the tradition.
Some make “Hoppin Johns” with black-eyed-peas, greens, rice, and pork.
Some use kale, or cabbage instead of collard greens.
Some use smoked ham hocks instead of jowl bacon.
Some put pennies in the dish - some put a penny under the dish.
Some swear the coin must be silver and placed inside the pot – or not.
Most use black-eyed-peas, but some substitute red peas, lentils, or cow peas.
Some are very committed to the exact number of peas that must be eaten. Too many or too few can bring bad luck – or good luck, depending on who you ask.
Anne’s and my own New Year’s Day tradition is much less complicated. We drive to Hammonnaset Beach and watch as the sun rises over the ocean. This year standing at the edge of our world, we watched the tide come in and the sun come up. Surrounded by magic, filled with awe, and overwhelmed with gratitude, I tried to count all my blessings. If happiness has a monetary value, I’m as prosperous as anyone I’ve ever known. In this coming year, there isn’t a lot more I would wish for myself but if I thought it would result in a saner and more peaceful planet, I’d happily eat my body weight in black-eyed-peas.
