I doubt there is anything really scientific to the New Year's tradition of eating black-eyed peas for prosperity.
But you can bet they will be served in lots of places in the South on New Year's Day.
Confirming they will be on the menu at the Arkansas Governor's Mansion is a given even in the high-toned atmosphere of its current occupants.
Once when the late Witt Stephens was lording over the Stephens Empire, if "Uncle Witt" was in the office, black-eyed peas would be on his executive dining room menu on that day.
Today, the ultra-fancy hotel (The Capitol Hotel) just down from the Stephens Building will be serving up black-eyed peas of some sort. The same holiday fare item can be found at James At The Mill in Johnson, Bryce's Cafeteria in Texarkana and other fine eateries all over Arkansas.
We can hope that with Arkansas' legislative session looming, that each of our 135 elected state Senators and state Representatives, in their individual household will be holding forth with a serving of black-eyed peas to attest to their impact on the prosperity of Arkansas in the year ahead.
Maybe Gov. Asa Hutchinson or those seeking his chair in 2018 will also hold forth eating black-eyed peas and hoping the economic stability and future finances of Arkansas will be solid and prosperous.
Surely, there is not a modern-day Arkansas mayor or county judge that would forget to have a serving of black-eyed peas on New Year's Day?
Would they dare?
Most respectable eateries that cater to a sit-down plate lunch will have the black-eyed peas. Some establishments in Arkansas even serve up a side of black-eyed pears à la carte to all who dine with them on New Year's Day.
So why is this tradition so important?
Hard times and uncertain economic times are a lynch-pin on why this tradition sticks with us Southerners. It dates back to the Civil War when marauding Union forces often left field corn and such row crops as black-eyed or field-peas alone when foraging on Southern soil.
The Union soldiers suspected such staples were intended for livestock only.
The black-eyed pea or black-eyed bean, a legume, is a subspecies of the cowpea, grown around the world for its medium-sized, edible bean. The common commercial one is called the California Black eye; it is pale-colored with a prominent black spot in the shape of an eye.
Several food historians will tell us the tradition of black-eyed peas being a special food came across the Atlantic with slaves and that West Africans also believed that the eye in the black-eyed pea helped ward off the "evil eye." Another tie is the belief of Jewish people that the black-eyed pea is a symbol and the eating of symbols were indeed good luck.
Eating black-eyed peas for New Year's has long been an African-American and Southern tradition. It signifies luck or prosperity, one of several New Year's foods that are associated with good fortune.
In the Southern United States, the black-eyed peas are typically cooked with a pork product for flavoring (such as bacon, ham bones, fatback, or hog jowl), diced onion, and served with a hot chili sauce or a peppery-flavored vinegar concoction.
You must be a Yankee if you have to ask someone the difference in ham bones, fat back or a hog jowl.
Or, if you don't know what pepper-sauce is.
Cornbread also often accompanies this meal, say cookbook writers, foodies and other culinary experts.
Sure, I tell you, cornbread must accompany this dish.
Store bought bread just won't do.
Happy New Year everybody.
Now eat them black-eyed peas.
And let us all hope for a prosperous year ahead of us.
MAYLON RICE, AN AWARD-WINNING COLUMNIST, HAS WRITTEN BOTH NEWS AND COLUMNS FOR SEVERAL NWA PUBLICATIONS AND HAS BEEN WRITING FOR THE ENTERPRISE-LEADER FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR.
Editorial on 12/28/2016