Does anyone know the history behind the name hoppin john?

Teresa, I found this by Googling which still doesn't fully answer your question. As I see it, it tells what it is but not where the name came from.

Hoppin' John
Hoppin' John is the Southern United States' version of the rice and beans dish traditional throughout West Africa. It consists of black-eyed peas (or field peas) and rice, with chopped onion and sliced bacon, seasoned with a bit of salt.[1] Some people substitute ham hock or fatback for the conventional bacon; a few use green peppers or vinegar and spices. 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.

Customs
Throughout the coastal South, eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day is thought to bring a prosperous year filled with luck.[2][3] The peas are symbolic of pennies or coins, and a coin is sometimes added to the pot or left under the dinner bowls.[4] Collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, chard, kale, cabbage etc. along with this dish are supposed to also add to the wealth since they are the color of money.[5] Another traditional food, cornbread, can also be served to represent wealth -- being the color of gold. On the day after New Year's Day, leftover "Hoppin' John" is called "Skippin' Jenny," and further demonstrates one's frugality, bringing a hope for an even better chance of prosperity in the New Year.[6][7]

During the late Middle Ages, there was a tradition of eating beans on New Year's Day for good luck in parts of France and Spain. The European tradition mixed with an African food item to become a New World tradition.

One tradition common in the Southern USA is that each person at the meal should leave three peas on their plate to assure that the New Year will be filled with Luck, Fortune and Romance. Another tradition holds that counting the number of peas in a serving predicts the amount of luck (or wealth) that the diner will have in the coming year.

Eat poor that day, eat rich the rest of the year.
Rice for riches and peas for peace.
- Southern saying on eating a dish of Hoppin' John on New Year's Day.

Hoppin' John is found in most states of the South, but it is mainly associated with the Carolinas. Gullah or Low Country cuisine reflects the cooking of the Carolinas, especially the Sea islands (a cluster of islands stretching along the coats of south Carolina and northern Georgia). Black-eyed peas, also called cow peas, are thought to have been introduced to America by African slaves who worked the rice plantations. Hoppin' John is a rich bean dish made of black-eyed peas simmered with spicy sausages, ham hocks, or fat pork, rice, and tomato sauce.

This African-American dish is traditionally a high point of New Year's Day, when a shiny dime is often buried among the black-eyed peas before serving. whoever get the coin in his or her portion is assured good luck throughout the year. For maximum good luck in the new year, the first thing that should be eaten on New year's Day is Hoppin' John. At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, many southern families toast each other with Champagne and a bowl of Hoppin' John. If it is served with collard greens you might, or might not, get rich during the coming year.

There are many variations to traditional Hoppin' John. Some cook the peas and rice in one pot, while others insist on simmering them separately.

Teresa,this better explains the name and I choose the last one about the crippled blackman. Just makes sense.

The first written recipe for Hoppin John appeared in The Carolina Housewife in 1847.

Most food historians generally agree that Hoppin John is an American dish with African/French/Caribbean roots. There are many tales or legends that explain how Hoppin' John got its name:

It was the custom for children to gather in the dining room as the dish was brought forth and hop around the table before sitting down to eat.

A man named John came "a-hoppin" when his wife took the dish from the stove.

An obscure South Carolina custom was inviting a guest to eat by saying, "Hop in, John"

The dish goes back at least as far as 1841, when, according to tradition, it was hawked in the streets of Charleston, South Carolina by a crippled black man who was know as Hoppin' John.

jude

There are several theories...like it was named after an old slave with a limp....or that it was first served by an old sea captain who said "hop in John"....but the one that makes the most sense to me it that the name is a corruption of the word for pidgeon peas in French pois pidgeon, which were widley available in the west Indies where many slaves came from.
While not pidgeon peas, black eyed peas look a lot like them.

I rinse a pound of black eyed peas with boiling water.....then cover with a box of chicken broth and water if needed and add a chunk of something smokey....either a bacon end or a pieces of smoked hog jowl, a couple of cloves of garlic.....and simmer until almost tender, then add 1/2 cup of raw rice....simmer until the rice is done and season with salt and hot sauce.
Not crazy about it....I eat it because of tradition. Maybe someone will have another recipe.
Linda c

I was looking at Hoppin' John recipes on-line when I ran across the recipe linked below for Black-Eyed Peas Salad with Basil Dressing to make for tomorrow.

I potted two 3-inch volunteer basil plants in the garden and moved them to a sunny window indoors before the frost got them in November (they are now 12-inches tall) and needed a recipe to use fresh basil, so what a good combination for New Year's Day - black-eyed peas and fresh basil.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Black-Eyed Peas Salad with Basil Dressing

Jude,
Glenda_AL posted this at the Table. One of the other members makes it regularly and they really love it.

1 large onion chopped
2 large garlic cloves
2 16 oz can drained black-eyed peas
2 cups chick broth
1 cup uncooked reg rice
1 tsp salt
2 Tbl butter

Saute onion and garlic in butter until tender.
Add rest of ingredients - cook 20 minutes until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender

And of course serve with pork and turnip greens for New Years.

Thanks, Jasdip. I will probably cook dried black eyed peas and go from there. I have a chicken carcass in the pot right now so I'm almost halfway there. Right?

jude

If you are looking for your Black Eyed Pea fix for New Years Day (and what Southerner isn't?) I would suggest this as an alternative. I am NOT a black eye pea fan and love this stuff. Full disclosure, I added a minced chipotle in adobo and soaked and cooked the BEP to "tender" instead of canned.

Alexa

Texas Caviar from the Cowgirl Hall of Fame Restaurant Epicurious : January 1998

by Betsy Beckmann

3 16-oz cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed of all juice
1 small jar chopped pimentos, juice included
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, green part only
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
3 canned or fresh jalapeño chiles, chopped
1 firm, ripe, chopped tomato
2 cups vinaigrette
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cloves fresh garlic, pressed or minced

In a large bowl, stir all ingredients very well. Refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours, preferably overnight, in a sealed or covered container. Remember the longer it sits, the better it gets!

Serve with old-fashioned saltine crackers or with corn tortilla chips.

Thanks Alexa, I'll try that another time. Think I may have had something similar to that before and it was very good. Looking for the basics right now.LOL

jude

Timely--I just got home from a Nonagenarian Birthday Party and started shelling the peas so I'm good to go tomorrow. I'm going with plain ole BEPs and ham hocks.

We haven't been leaving the 3 peas on the plate as the tradition states--I guess that's what's been going wrong all these years.

Thanks jasdip for posting the recipe I shared.

It's one I have used that I acquired from Southern Living magazine many many years ago.

Here's an interesting variation I've been tempted to try:

Hoppin John
1 lb package dry or frozen Black Eye Peas
Seasoning meat like ham, thick bacon or sausage - cooked
1 medium diced onion (1 cup)

1 bell pepper (1 cup)
3 stalks diced celery
1 jalapeno (diced & no seeds)
1 can Rotel Tomatoes
1 t Cajun seasoning
1/2 t ground Thyme
1/2 t ground cumin
4-6 cups stock (vegetable or chicken)
Chopped green onions for garnish
2 T canola oil
2 cups cooked long grain white rice (1 cup rice, 2 cups water, 20 mins on low heat)

The Finished Dish
Hoppin John with Fresh Pork Sausage and Rice
Putting it all together...

The night before cooking Hoppin John, soak the dry Black Eye Peas in a bowl of water. Cover and set aside until you are ready to cook. Then drain the peas in a colander.

Prepare all of your ingredients - choppin, dicing and measuring.

In a 6 quart pot, heat the 2 tablespoons of canola oil on medium high heat (#6). Saute the onion, bell pepper, garlic and celery. Add the 4-6 cups vegetable or chicken stock. Add the Rotel tomatoes, seasonings, jalapeno, black eye peas, and cut up seasoning meat. (We slowly cooked 3 links of sausage on the grill the night before. You can also saute in a skillet.)

Make sure the mixture is covered with water. Add water if needed. Bring to a boil. Cover and lower the heat to medium low (#3). Simmer for 1 1/2 hours stirring occassionally.

In the last 1/2 hour, cook the rice according to package directions.

About ready to serve - spoon out a couple spoonfuls of black eye peas in a bowl. Smash with a fork. This will act as a thickener for the Black Eye Peas gravy. Pour back in the pot and stir.

Spoon out some rice in a deep bowl. Ladle on the Hoppin John and ENJOY!

This is a great dish for New Years Day or anytime of year. What a great comfort food.