Most of us are probably pretty excited to welcome in a new year. And many of us will probably even eat our black-eyed peas this year. Here comes this festive and simple dish that is perfect for last minute entertaining and perfect for leftovers the next day!
Eating black-eyed peas and greens is thought to bring good luck and prosperity. The greens are thought to represent paper money. Traditionally, turnip, mustang or collard greens are eaten. But, green is green, so in this case, you have options.
Tradition also says you should eat one pea for each day of the year. That’s a lot of peas!
There are many tales as to where this tradition came from. One version notes that black-eyed peas were considered animal feed. Due to this, troops in the Civil War would ignore black-eyed peas when they destroyed crops. People found themselves eating a lot of black-eyed peas since that was what remained.
That’s no wonder – those peas are very nutritious. They are a good source of fiber, protein, iron, zinc, phosphorus, folate, copper and many other nutrients.
There are actually many other “good luck” foods around the world. Here are a few examples:
Sauerkraut – in the new year German tradition this food symbolizes wealth
Lentils – this is an Italian tradition. They hope a bag of lentils would turn into coins when given to friends
Soba noodles – in Japan this is the traditional food of choice on this holiday symbolizing long life. With the buckwheat flour it symbolizes resilience as well (something I’m sure we all have now with 2020 under our belts)
Grapes – In Spain they eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight. They count the months as they go and if you find a sour one in your 12, be weary of that month
Pomegranates – in Greek tradition they throw an open pomegranate against their door. The more seeds that fall out, the more luck and fertility that household will have. In Turkey, it’s thought to symbolize fertility and abundance for the New Year.
Oranges – said to bring prosperity in the Chinese culture. In the Philippines, people like to eat round fruit, which represents the shape of coins.
There are many more foods to eat for good luck. Maybe we should try all of them as we head welcome 2021! For now, here is a great recipe to help sneak in those black-eyed peas and provide a great snack to celebrate. If you would like to lower the carbs, try the La Tortilla Low-Carb Tortillas. Need a grain free option? Try the Siete Cassava Flour or Almond Flour Tortillas. Also, if you don’t have time to roast your garlic, you can grab a jar of diced roasted garlic in the produce section.
