Black History Month: Hoppin’ John

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In 2023, the theme of Black History Month is Black Resistance and Eat the Culture is recognizing the remarkable and, frankly, underrated resistance of our ancestors in bringing culinary traditions across the Atlantic to shape the vibrancy of Black cuisine that we know and love today. They physically and mentally carried African foodways across the deadly Middle Passage to pass down through generations. This year’s Black History Month Virtual Potluck traces popular dishes of the Diaspora from their West African roots to North America and beyond. Share these recipes with your friends and loved ones and follow each participant by using the hashtag #BHMVP2023 on Instagram

You can grab the full list of recipes from this year’s collaboration on the Eat the Culture website.

From Waakye to Hoppin’ John

Waakye is a simple, savory rice and beans dish native to northern Ghana. Our ancestors brought this versatile staple to the American South, Caribbean, and South America. Today, I’m teaching you how to make Hoppin’ John from the Southern United States and encourage you to follow the story through Waakye from Ghana, Jamaican Rice and Peas from Jamaica, and Guyanese Cook Up Rice from Guyana.

Growing up and living in the South, I have eaten many variations of Hoppin’ John and other rice dishes. Family histories and taste preferences always influence each one, and ingredient availability- no matter how it has always been a dish I enjoyed and respected! For my version of Hoppin’ John, I chose to honor its Low Country origins by using Carolina Gold Rice and Sea Island red peas.

What is Hoppin’ John?

Hoppin’ John is a savory one-pot meal made of rice, pork, and cowpeas. Folks in the Southern United States most famously eat it. New Year’s Day it’s served to symbolize prosperity. It is a beautiful dish to serve all year long, in my opinion. It’s hearty, delicious and simple to make.

Its origin dates back to the early 1800s in the Southern United States. The cooking techniques and flavors used to make this dish reflect traditions brought to the Carolinas by enslaved Africans during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. For example, using minimal ingredients, locally grown foods, and few utensils.

There are varying stories about how the name ‘Hoppin’ John’ originated for the meal. For example, some stories tell about a man name John who sold field peas in the streets of Charleston. Others mention enslaved children hopping around a table, enjoying their meal of cooked rice. There seem to be hundreds of folklores around the the name.

Many of these folklores are explored by food historians like Karen Hess who wrote The Carolina Rice Kitchen: The African Connection. In her thesis, she takes a fascinating deep dive into the accounts and receipts (an old name for ‘recipes’). According to Hess, “Most of the proposed origins are demeaning to African-Americans, representing pop etymology of a low order.” She then attempts to reconstruct the words ‘hoppin’ and ‘john’, tying them to ancient Arabic and many African dialects.

Cowpeas, Carolina Gold Rice and Cooking Methods

Why are cowpeas used in Hoppin’ John?

Because of varying traditions and the availability of ingredients in different regions, you’ll notice that Hoppin’ John recipes use different cowpeas. Cowpeas vary significantly in size, flavor, and color.

Let’s start with what cowpeas are! They are legumes that grow well in sandy soil, just like in Africa, Asia, and the coastal regions of southern America. Domesticated in Africa, cowpeas are one of the oldest crops to be farmed. There are various subspecies of cowpeas including black-eyed peas, crowder peas, and sea island peas- all of which are used in Hoppin’ John recipes.

You’ll likely find that most Hoppin’ John recipes include black-eyed peas. In the United States, black-eyed peas are more commonly sold today than others in the cowpea family. I use dried Red Sea Island Peas, first cultivated by the Gullah Geechee people. There are still small farms in South Carolina that harvest the peas today. Although I live in Kentucky, I know because of my annual travels to the region. Recently, I relied on online shopping to buy some. This really put into perspective how times have changed!

What rice is used in Hoppin’ John?

Traditionally, Carolina Gold rice is used to make Hoppin’ John. It’s an earthy, nutty-flavored variety of rice that is known for it’s golden hue. In World of Slave, by Kym S. Rice, “Broken or unpolished rice that was not sold was given to the enslaved community as an addition to their rations”. She continues to explain that cowpeas were boiled, seasoned, and then “…mixed with broken rice, salt fish or pork to form a tasty dish”.

The only Carolina Gold Rice I could find in my town was at Whole Foods. Please note that I used parboiled rice, which affects the cooking time. Parboiled rice cooks faster than other varieties.

Other Hoppin’ John Variations

Types of Meat: Bacon, Ham Hock, Salt Pork, Sausage or Smoked Turkey

Vegetables (besides peas): Celery, Onions, Bell Peppers, Collard Greens, Garlic, Carrots, and/or Tomatoes

Types of peas: Blackeyed peas, red peas, crowder-peas, etc.

Cooking methods: Stove-top only or a combo of stove/oven.

All in All

Hoppin’ John is an empowering dish that continues to represent the resilience and traditions of the African diaspora. Although recipes vary across families, the essence of Hoppin’ John is felt through the traditional rice and peas being slow-cooked with fresh vegetables, preserved meat, and flavorful seasonings. I highly recommend making this dish in honor of Black History Month!