Hoppin’ John traditionally contains black-eyed peas.
The Southern dish combines black-eyed peas with rice and usually includes onion, seasoning, and some form of pork. It is strongly associated with African American foodways and with the Lowcountry of South Carolina and Georgia.
Many families serve Hoppin’ John on New Year’s Day because black-eyed peas symbolize prosperity or good luck. Greens may be served alongside it to represent money, while cornbread is sometimes said to represent gold.
The dish’s exact name origin is debated, and recipes differ by region. Some versions use field peas or other cowpeas, but black-eyed peas are the canonical ingredient in the dish as it is most commonly identified.