Recipe to prosperity

During the end of the year, a lot of people are wishing, hoping, and praying for good luck in the following year. Another way people try to bring luck into the following year is through cooking. There are tons of recipes found on the internet that also claim to bring luck in the new year, but there is one recipe that is the oldest, the tastiest, and will truly bring 2017 and the subsequent years’ prosperity; Black Eyed Peas.

There are several reasons why black eyed peas have become such a superstition around the new year. The superstition is most popular in the south, and if you ask any old southern folk, they’ll tell you Black eyed peas date back to the Civil War. When the Union raided the camp of the Confederates, the Union general, William Tecumseh Sherman, told them to take all of the Confederates’ food and supplies except the black eyed peas and salt pork- salt pork which is often paired with black eyed peas. The soldiers of the Union said that the salt pork and peas is what got them through the harsh winter.

In many cultures, even the ones dating back to ancient Egypt, the consumption of black eyed peas demonstrated humility, and save you from the wrath of gods. Black eyed peas were cheap to grow and also grow fairly well during the winter, when most crops don’t do well during the winter months.

Southerner’s may also tell you that on the first of January 1863, all the slaves had to celebrate the new year was salt pork and black eye peas. The slaves were celebrating the Emancipation Proclamation that would begin that year.

There are many different recipes for Black eyed peas, but the recipe must include salt pork and a form of greens, like okra or collard greens if you want the luck to stick. Some people even add a new dime or a new penny for extra luck.

Recipe for black eye Peas and salt pork