Hoppin' John 3233570 211314248 2008-05-09T19:08:36Z Themightyquill 1212157 remove image size as per [[WP:MOS]] [[Image:American cuisine-Hopping John-01.jpg|thumb|''Hoppin' John'']] '''Hoppin' John''' is the [[Southern United States]]' version of the [[rice]] and [[beans]] dish traditional throughout the [[Caribbean]]. It consists of [[field peas]] or [[Cowpea|crowder peas]] ([[black-eyed pea]]s) and [[rice]], with chopped onion and sliced bacon, seasoned with a bit of salt. Some people substitute [[ham hock]] or [[fatback]] for the conventional bacon; a few use [[Bell pepper|green peppers]] or [[vinegar]] and [[spice]]s. Smaller than black-eyed peas, field peas are used in the Low Country of South Carolina and Georgia; black-eyed peas are the norm elsewhere. Throughout the coastal South, eating Hoppin' John on [[New Year's Day]] is thought to bring a year filled with luck, and it's eaten by everyone. The peas, or beans with little black “eyes,” signify coins. Fill your plate with them and your proverbial cup will runneth over. [[Collard greens]] along with this dish is suppose to also add to the wealth since they are the color of money. On the day after New Year's Day, leftover "Hoppin' John" is called "Skippin' Jenny", and further demonstrates one's frugality, hopefully bringing an even better chance of prosperity in the New Year. <ref>"Skippin' Jenny" is trans generational verbal history from the South Carolina Low Country; no known published reference.</ref> == Variants == Many regional variants exist, including "Hoppin' Juan," which substitutes Cuban [[black bean]]s for black-eyed peas. Also in Brazil, [[Feijoada]] (fay-shwaa-da) - which uses [[Black turtle bean#Black beans|black turtle beans]] in contrast to black-eyed peas. == Etymology == Variations of this dish are seen throughout the American South and the [[Caribbean]], and the dish is believed to have been typical [[slave]] food in early colonial times. The origins of the name are uncertain, one possibility is that the name is a [[corruption (linguistics)|corruption]] of the [[French Creole]] term for [[black-eyed peas]]: [[pois pigeons]] ({{IPA2|pwapiˈʒɔ̃}}). Another explanation has it that a [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] land owner's one-legged slave, [[John]], hopped around the table as he served a meal of [[rice]] and [[black-eyed peas]]. The meal was so well liked that it was named after him. The [[Oxford English Dictionary|OED's]] first reference to the dish is from [[Frederick Law Olmsted]]'s [[19th Century]] [[travelogue]], ''[[A Journey in the Seaboard Slave States]]''. "The greatest luxury with which they are acquainted is a [[stew]] of [[bacon]] and [[peas]], with [[red pepper]], which they call ‘Hopping John’." There is also a recipe for Hopping John in ''[[The Carolina Housewife]]'' by [[Sarah Rutledge]], which was published in [[1847]]. == See also == * [[Gallo Pinto]] - the equivalent dish of [[Nicaragua]] and [[Costa Rica]] * [[Pabellón criollo]] - the equivalent in [[Venezuela]] * [[Platillo Moros y Cristianos]] - the [[Cuba]]n equivalent == References == <references/> == External links == * [http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/104452 Recipe at epicurious.com] * [http://members.aol.com/RSRICHMOND/hoppingjohn.html Robert Richmond's Hopping John page] [[Category:Cuisine of the Southern United States]] [[Category:Legume dishes]] [[Category:Lowcountry cuisine]] [[Category:Rice dishes]]