1 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:11,480 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Savor production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 2: I'm Annie Reiss and I'm Lauren Vogelbaum, and today we 3 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 2: have a classic episode for you about black eyed peas. 4 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:23,119 Speaker 1: Yes, and once again, I do think I know the 5 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: answer to this question. But was there any particular reason 6 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 1: this classic was on your mind? Lauren? 7 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:33,600 Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah. So as we record this, we are running 8 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 2: up against the end of twenty twenty five, people are 9 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 2: perhaps preparing for some kind of New Year's Eve and 10 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:47,919 Speaker 2: or Day celebration. And some of those people you included, 11 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 2: I believe, Annie, yes, are including black eyed peas on 12 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 2: that New Year's Day menu. Yes, I am. 13 00:00:56,760 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 1: And when you mentioned you were bringing this classic back, 14 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 1: I told you that. Just today I bought all of 15 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:08,399 Speaker 1: the ingredients for my New Year's Day soup, which does 16 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:11,880 Speaker 1: include black eyed peas. Oh you're excited. 17 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:14,680 Speaker 2: Oh I'm excited for you. Oh I still I still 18 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:18,040 Speaker 2: need to. I haven't done like a really good New 19 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 2: Year's Day meal in a couple of years, and I 20 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 2: need to. I need to work on that, and I 21 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 2: need to, Like, I'm really curious about your souper recipe. 22 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:30,160 Speaker 1: It's really good and it's really easy. If anybody's like 23 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: worried about me. It's all canned stuff. Like if you're like, 24 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: it's well, you don't know when we're recording this, it's 25 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: currently it's December twenty second. 26 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:42,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's all canned items. Okay, so it's very simple. 27 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 2: That's great. Good for you. That's so nice on yourself 28 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 2: because I know, I know you're cooking a lot for 29 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 2: Christmas for your family. 30 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 1: So it's kind of how this originated because we used 31 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 1: to do a much bigger when I would spend it 32 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 1: with my family, it was a much bigger deal. And 33 00:01:56,560 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: then when I moved to an apartment by myself, I 34 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 1: was like, you know what, I'm going to make this 35 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:03,120 Speaker 1: easy on myself. 36 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, simplify right, Well, we do in this in this episode. 37 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:16,800 Speaker 2: It originally published on January first of twenty twenty. What 38 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 2: an interesting time that was. So we do. We do 39 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 2: say a lot in this. If you're listening to it 40 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:25,239 Speaker 2: on literally the day it comes out, it's going to 41 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 2: be a tiny bit jarring because we're like, it's a 42 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:29,519 Speaker 2: new year. It's it's the first day of a new year. 43 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,240 Speaker 2: Welcome to the new year. But I thought that was 44 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 2: just fine. You know, Hey, I don't know about y'all, 45 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 2: But I'm sort of ready to see twenty twenty five 46 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 2: out the door. I try not to be that way 47 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 2: about most years, but this one, I'm like, yeah, I 48 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 2: don't know. Maybe let's let's let's get some let's get 49 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 2: some freshness in here. Yeah. 50 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:52,079 Speaker 1: And I also think that for a lot of us, 51 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:56,679 Speaker 1: you know, the new year, you keep signing the old 52 00:02:56,760 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: year for a long time. 53 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:00,800 Speaker 2: You don't know what year it is. Oh no, especially, 54 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:03,680 Speaker 2: let's all just be honest with each like the like 55 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:05,919 Speaker 2: last week. In the first week, I don't know, I 56 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 2: don't know what it is to be anything. 57 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:12,800 Speaker 1: It could be, it could be over on the other show, 58 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: I have stuff when never told you. Poor Samantha, to 59 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 1: my cost, she said it was two thousand and six. 60 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 1: Oh no, and she corrected herself and said twenty twenty seven. 61 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: And then she corrected herself again and said nineteen ninety four. 62 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 1: So it's not going well. 63 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 2: You know, we don't know, we don't know when anything is. 64 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 2: I thought heck, I thought I was bad. 65 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 1: But this is why I like traditions, actually, because they 66 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 1: helped me be like, Okay, I know what time of 67 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 1: year it is. This is when I make my black 68 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 1: eyed pea soup. This is it? 69 00:03:52,640 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 2: Oh, that's great. Well, okay, without any further ado, let's 70 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 2: let past Annie and Lauren from whatever time they were 71 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 2: doing this take it away. 72 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to save Her production of iHeartRadio and 73 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 1: Stuff Media. 74 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 2: I'm Annie Res and I'm Lauren Vogelbaum, and welcome to 75 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:25,279 Speaker 2: the New Year. Yes, welcome and welcome to the show. 76 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:28,159 Speaker 2: Today we're talking about black eyed peas, not the band. 77 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:30,160 Speaker 2: Not the band too much. 78 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: Probably obviously not well. But in case anyone thought we 79 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:34,720 Speaker 1: made some weird. 80 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:38,719 Speaker 2: New Year's resolution, sharp turn. No, I like that. 81 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 1: We're entering the new decade with black eyed peas. 82 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 2: Me too. Yeah, it's a Southern tradition to eat black 83 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:50,839 Speaker 2: eyed peas on New Year's Day. Yes. 84 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 1: A while back, we did an episode around the traditional 85 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: Southern New Year's meal, which is generally some type of pork, greens, 86 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 1: black eyed peas, and corn bread, and these all represent 87 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:04,040 Speaker 1: basically luck and money. 88 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 2: Sure coming here, and there's a. 89 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: Chance I'm eating this right now as you listen. 90 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 2: I've already got it all ready to go. I just 91 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 2: have to cook it. Ah. 92 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:16,919 Speaker 1: I love black eyed peas, but this is literally the 93 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:18,720 Speaker 1: only time of year I eat them really. 94 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:19,719 Speaker 2: And it kind of bumps me out. I don't know, 95 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:21,479 Speaker 2: I should eat them more. I should eat them more. 96 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 2: They're available. I know they're not available like fresh. It's 97 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 2: true times a year. 98 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 1: I've actually only cooked them fresh once in my lifetime. 99 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:32,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, how'd you feel about it? It was good. 100 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:37,040 Speaker 1: I'm somebody who uh scoff set soaking things. Oh and 101 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:39,839 Speaker 1: you're hav a so cool soak scuff or I'm a 102 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:42,040 Speaker 1: soak scuffer that I didn't want to do it. I'm 103 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:44,839 Speaker 1: lazy essentially, so the cans are easier, but they were 104 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 1: really good. 105 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:47,719 Speaker 2: I just didn't like the soaking part. 106 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:51,720 Speaker 1: Uh well, brings back memories of the the butter beans, 107 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:56,599 Speaker 1: and I don't like thinking about that. If anyone doesn't 108 00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:59,039 Speaker 1: know about my butter bean drama, that's okay, But I've 109 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 1: got some built up memories. 110 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 2: It's all that blanching. It's hard, it's hard, and it hurts. 111 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:05,240 Speaker 2: It hurts. 112 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:08,280 Speaker 1: I probably just wasn't doing it correctly, but that's okay, 113 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:12,600 Speaker 1: But okay. The black eyed peace in this Southern traditional 114 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:16,360 Speaker 1: New Year's meal is supposed to represent luck, or that's 115 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:18,479 Speaker 1: what it was in my family. I hear most other 116 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:21,360 Speaker 1: people think it's like coins coins, Yeah, because it's got 117 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:22,560 Speaker 1: the little right. 118 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 2: Coin shape. I suppose. I don't think that beans are 119 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:31,839 Speaker 2: in any way shaped like coins, but that's that's a 120 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:33,800 Speaker 2: you'd have to be squinting pretty hard. 121 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:36,279 Speaker 1: I feel like I've played at least one video game 122 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:39,360 Speaker 1: where you pay for things with coins. 123 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:44,359 Speaker 2: With coins with beans with beans. Yeah. No, apparently the 124 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 2: saying is peace for pennies, greens for dollars, and corn 125 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:47,440 Speaker 2: bread for gold. 126 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:52,599 Speaker 1: Yes, and we bought into it when we were children. 127 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:53,280 Speaker 1: This is how my. 128 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 2: Mom I was all about it. 129 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,159 Speaker 1: But my brothers don't like either collars, which is what 130 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 1: we normally had, or black eyed peace. 131 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 2: But they ate them because they believed in the luck, 132 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:04,640 Speaker 2: or at least they didn't want to risk it. 133 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:08,920 Speaker 1: It wasn't true, But okay, I guess that brings us 134 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:09,800 Speaker 1: to our question. 135 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 2: Black eyed peas. What are they? 136 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 1: It turns out they go buy a lot of different 137 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 1: names for one, mixing it up all. 138 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 2: I'm coming in with some angry response. 139 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 1: Because as we were doing the research for this, I 140 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 1: saw cow peas, crowder peas, southern peas, field peas, or 141 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 1: long beans, asparagus beans or yard long beans. 142 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 2: Too many names. Pick a lane. Yeah, well, no matter 143 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:46,840 Speaker 2: what you call them, black eyed peas are they're not 144 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 2: peas exactly. They do share the same family, the legome family, 145 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 2: But black eyed peas are a species of bean, and 146 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 2: I have it here, and I couldn't find a pronunciation. 147 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 2: I'm gonna try vigna ngui coulata. Yeah, sure, let's call 148 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 2: it that. Let's do it. Yeah, that's that. That is 149 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:11,200 Speaker 2: the exact species. And to be even more exact, they 150 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 2: are a subspecies that has particular markings. When mature and dried, 151 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:18,440 Speaker 2: this bean is a small white to cream colored thing 152 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:21,840 Speaker 2: with a inky black, brown or purple ring seemingly just 153 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:24,560 Speaker 2: stamped right at the top or like if you think 154 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 2: of a bean as sort of like a blunt heart 155 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:28,360 Speaker 2: shape sort of thing, yeah, it's like right at the 156 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:34,080 Speaker 2: apex of the heart. Oh yeah, so much nicer than 157 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 2: saying kidney shade. Is why we do that, right? Yeah? 158 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:42,120 Speaker 2: Related beans can come in other colors, red to brown, 159 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 2: to black, to speckled, multicolored to just cream without the spot, 160 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:49,280 Speaker 2: and are sometimes called by some of those same names. 161 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 2: Too many humans get it together, Come on. The beans 162 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 2: grow in these long, skinny, lumpy pods, and in some 163 00:08:57,520 --> 00:08:59,600 Speaker 2: places the pods are eaten while they're still green, and 164 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:03,520 Speaker 2: the beans immature, like like snap beans. Yeah. Sometimes the 165 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:06,360 Speaker 2: mature but still tender beans are shelled and cooked up fresh, 166 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:09,240 Speaker 2: and sometimes the beans are dried, which means they need 167 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 2: to be soaked to rehydrate before cooking. It's gonna be okay. 168 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 2: The leaves are also edible, similar to spinach. Oh really yeah? Yeah, 169 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 2: And that dark ring is around the area that's like 170 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:28,319 Speaker 2: the bean's belly button. It marks where it was attached 171 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:31,599 Speaker 2: to the inside of the pod. Oh huh. 172 00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:35,079 Speaker 1: Apparently in France they were originally called molget, the French 173 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 1: word for none, because the black spot reminded some of 174 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 1: how Nun's dressed. 175 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:42,840 Speaker 2: Oh. I don't really see it, but okay, yeah, maybe 176 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:47,199 Speaker 2: like the hat, like the little headware wimple combo. Maybe 177 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:50,920 Speaker 2: I'm not sure. Anyway, I like it. The beans will 178 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 2: dry out naturally on the vine. They are self preserving. 179 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:56,800 Speaker 2: Once dried. They are really sturdy. They can last at 180 00:09:56,880 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 2: least two hundred years in this state and still be 181 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:03,880 Speaker 2: planted and sprouted afterward. Two hundred years. I know at 182 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:08,040 Speaker 2: least research is ongoing. They're just waiting it out. I'm 183 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:13,199 Speaker 2: not sure. Oh, Wow. But yeah, this was evolutionarily useful 184 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:16,079 Speaker 2: because if the weather's too dry for new plants to grow, 185 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:18,280 Speaker 2: the beans, which are you know, like the fruit seed 186 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:21,240 Speaker 2: combo of the plant could just hang out and wait 187 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:26,320 Speaker 2: until rain came again. Dang. Yeah, that's impressive. The cowpee 188 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:29,760 Speaker 2: family is a warm climate crop grown mostly in tropical 189 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:33,640 Speaker 2: to subtropical regions because it will not tolerate frost, but 190 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:36,679 Speaker 2: it is really hearty. It's resistant to drought and pests. 191 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:39,600 Speaker 2: They're also good to plant alongside other crops. They're shade 192 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:43,439 Speaker 2: resistant and can crowd out weeds crowder. Yeah. Yeah. They 193 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 2: only take about two to two and a half months 194 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:47,760 Speaker 2: to each maturity, so if you are in a warm climate, 195 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:49,880 Speaker 2: you can get a good crop pretty late in the year. 196 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:54,880 Speaker 2: Oh nice, perhaps harvesting them somewhere in December, yeah, strange. 197 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:59,560 Speaker 2: And although commercial operations may harvest them mechanically, they're pretty 198 00:10:59,559 --> 00:11:01,559 Speaker 2: easy to show by hand. They're just all around like 199 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 2: a really agreeable plant. I like it. Yeah, me too. 200 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 2: And beans in general are a valuable crop because they 201 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:11,920 Speaker 2: a have like a lot of protein for vegetation and 202 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:16,640 Speaker 2: b grow with symbiotic bacteria in their roots. So like 203 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:19,880 Speaker 2: the plant and bacteria team up to pull nitrogen from 204 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:21,839 Speaker 2: the air. The plant takes in the air that has 205 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:26,240 Speaker 2: the nitrogen that it can't use, but the bacteria will 206 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:28,680 Speaker 2: fix it in the soil where the plants can soak 207 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:32,680 Speaker 2: it up through their roots. Oh. It's a whole process, 208 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:36,400 Speaker 2: it is, and most plants can't do this, so anything 209 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:38,480 Speaker 2: the beans don't get to use gets left in the 210 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:40,720 Speaker 2: soil after the crop is harvested and can be used 211 00:11:40,720 --> 00:11:44,840 Speaker 2: by the next crop it gets planted. There. Oh wow, yeah, 212 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:48,480 Speaker 2: very impressive. Uh huh. What about the nutrition? Uh yeah, yeah, 213 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:51,200 Speaker 2: that protein thing. They're up to twenty five percent protein 214 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:53,720 Speaker 2: by weight. Wow. They're low and fat, high in fiber, 215 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:56,840 Speaker 2: have a punch of carbs, and contain just an absolute 216 00:11:56,920 --> 00:12:00,240 Speaker 2: heck ton of minerals a smattering of vitamins like I'm 217 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:03,400 Speaker 2: in folate. They will definitely fill you up and keep 218 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:06,280 Speaker 2: you going pretty well, especially if you pair them with 219 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:09,360 Speaker 2: a little bit more fat and veg like the traditional 220 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 2: New Year's exactly. Wow. Oh, and a side note about 221 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:17,520 Speaker 2: why beans are in fact the musical fruit. 222 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:21,679 Speaker 1: Finally, get to the bottom of this, I've been wondering 223 00:12:21,880 --> 00:12:24,199 Speaker 1: since it's elementary school. 224 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 2: All right, So some of those carbs. They contain are 225 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:30,560 Speaker 2: our sugars that we humans, like all other mammals, do 226 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:34,600 Speaker 2: not have the enzymes to break down in our digestive system. 227 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:36,680 Speaker 2: But the bacteria in our guts, sure do, you have 228 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:39,960 Speaker 2: those enzymes. So the sugars pass into our guts, the 229 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:43,640 Speaker 2: bacteria there eat them and excrete, carbon dioxide, methane and 230 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:48,079 Speaker 2: a few other gases, and we pass those gases. So 231 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:51,800 Speaker 2: the moral of the story is a everybody farts and 232 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 2: b discard the slime around canned beans and the soaking 233 00:12:56,360 --> 00:12:58,720 Speaker 2: water for dried beans, and maybe like the cooking water 234 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:00,880 Speaker 2: for dried beans too. You want to be like super 235 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:04,079 Speaker 2: careful because the sugars will wash out, uh huh if 236 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:09,120 Speaker 2: you discard the soaking water. Yeah. Ah, you never know 237 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:14,120 Speaker 2: what you're gonna learn podcasting just in time too. 238 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:18,400 Speaker 1: Yep, you're welcome, thank you, thank you. Well, let's look 239 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:21,840 Speaker 1: at some numbers. Yeah, Nigeria is the world's top producer 240 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:24,040 Speaker 1: of black eyed peas. They are also the world's top 241 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 1: consumer and importer of the crop. In twenty sixteen, the 242 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:30,840 Speaker 1: United States Agency for International Development found that the average 243 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:34,800 Speaker 1: Nigerian consumes eighteen kilograms of black eyed peas. The average 244 00:13:34,840 --> 00:13:37,960 Speaker 1: Ghania nine kilograms and one point eight kilograms per person 245 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:41,600 Speaker 1: in quote tu Bois. Of the annual five point four 246 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 1: million tons of black eyed peas produced, ninety six percent 247 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:47,559 Speaker 1: come from Africa, with Nigeria making up sixty one percent 248 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:49,960 Speaker 1: of that number and fifty eight percent globally. 249 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:51,199 Speaker 2: Woof. Yeah. Yeah. 250 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 1: Black eyed peas are popular dishes in Africa, particularly West Africa, India, Meanmar, Brazil, 251 00:13:56,840 --> 00:14:00,240 Speaker 1: the Caribbean, and the southern United States. They feed U're 252 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:03,040 Speaker 1: prominently in things like hopin John more on that later. 253 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:06,160 Speaker 1: And in Brazil, peeled and mashed black eyed peas than 254 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:08,959 Speaker 1: ferminated overnight and fried and palm oil are a popular 255 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:13,520 Speaker 1: street food. Nigeria is pretty much the same thing. In Africa, 256 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:16,520 Speaker 1: they are part of the daily diets of millions of people. 257 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:18,840 Speaker 1: They might be boiled and eaten with rice and or 258 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:22,120 Speaker 1: fried tomatoes and onions and plantains. Sometimes they are ground 259 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:25,160 Speaker 1: up into flour later made into porridge. Some places in 260 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:28,360 Speaker 1: Sub Saharan Africa label this crop maricle peas or poor 261 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:32,520 Speaker 1: man's meat, due to their ability to weather tough conditions 262 00:14:32,560 --> 00:14:34,320 Speaker 1: and their nutritional profile. 263 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, I've read that in Sub Saharan Africa as a 264 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:40,760 Speaker 2: whole they are the primary source of protein in people's diets. Wow. 265 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:43,760 Speaker 1: Because of its significance in the diets of so many, 266 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:47,920 Speaker 1: the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture is experimenting with varieties 267 00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:50,480 Speaker 1: of black eyed peas that produce higher yields or are 268 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:54,360 Speaker 1: resistant to pest as of now Ia boasts the world's 269 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:59,240 Speaker 1: largest and most diverse bank of black eyed peas, two 270 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:01,040 Speaker 1: unique samples, eighty eight countries. 271 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:05,360 Speaker 2: Ah, that's so cool, I love it. Yeah. England's Royal 272 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:08,560 Speaker 2: Botanical Gardens Queue has a science arm that also works 273 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:11,040 Speaker 2: on seed collection, and the black eyed pea is one 274 00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:13,360 Speaker 2: of twenty nine crops that they have deemed a potential 275 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:16,720 Speaker 2: savior of our future food security. They thus also have 276 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 2: a collection of not just cultivated varietals of black eyed peas, 277 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:22,280 Speaker 2: but also their cousins that grow in the wild. See. 278 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:25,280 Speaker 2: You didn't think that the black eyed pea was going 279 00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:28,240 Speaker 2: to be a good start to the decade, but look 280 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:29,360 Speaker 2: at this. It is. 281 00:15:29,560 --> 00:15:32,040 Speaker 1: It is when it comes to their place as a 282 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 1: representation of luck in the Southern New Year's meal or coins, 283 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:37,880 Speaker 1: what have you. Most food historians thing has to do 284 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:41,080 Speaker 1: with humility, as one saying goes eat poor on New 285 00:15:41,160 --> 00:15:43,880 Speaker 1: Year's and eat fat the rest of the year. Or 286 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 1: it could be as simple as they kind of look 287 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:48,760 Speaker 1: at coins. Like we said, that's what I always assume personally, 288 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:53,080 Speaker 1: and I guess having money is lucky. It's fortunate, for sure, 289 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:56,480 Speaker 1: sure sword related. Some think it's because when cooked, the 290 00:15:56,560 --> 00:16:00,680 Speaker 1: volume of black eyed peas substantially increases, making it hopefully 291 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:03,520 Speaker 1: representation of wealth and abundance increasing. 292 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:06,440 Speaker 2: One of one of my favorite food blogs, Botanist in 293 00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:10,119 Speaker 2: the Kitchen, wrote about black eyed peas quote, just like optimism, 294 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:12,680 Speaker 2: beans are cheap enough that anyone can have them. I 295 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 2: love that. 296 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:17,840 Speaker 1: I know. As we mentioned in our New Year's Traditions episode, 297 00:16:17,960 --> 00:16:21,560 Speaker 1: there are even more specific traditions around black eyed peas. 298 00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:23,960 Speaker 1: One goes that you have to eat them before noon 299 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 1: on New Year's Day to benefit from the look oh money. 300 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 2: Twelve oh one. Like it was like Gremlins, I can't 301 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:34,440 Speaker 2: eat an afternoon. That's probably where the plot of Gremlins 302 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:36,200 Speaker 2: came from, now that I think about it. 303 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:39,360 Speaker 1: Another goes that you have to count out three hundred 304 00:16:39,360 --> 00:16:41,640 Speaker 1: and sixty five or three hundred and sixty six of 305 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 1: black eyed peas one for each day of the coming year. 306 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:47,720 Speaker 2: No thank you. That sounds like a lot more counting 307 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:50,160 Speaker 2: than I generally care to do. I did used to 308 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:51,200 Speaker 2: really like counting. 309 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:53,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, when I was a kid, I like to count, 310 00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:55,840 Speaker 1: and I want a lot of contests that. 311 00:16:55,800 --> 00:17:00,800 Speaker 2: Way, like guess how many? Yeah, I'm really good at those. 312 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:06,240 Speaker 1: Maybe I should count, Okay, maybe I will. I've seen 313 00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:09,480 Speaker 1: black eyed bees referred to as poor Man's caviaar in 314 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:12,239 Speaker 1: the South or Texas caviar and thinking about it too. 315 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:15,040 Speaker 1: Most of these lucky Southern foods are ones that do 316 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:19,359 Speaker 1: grow during tough winter months aka around New Year's and 317 00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:23,040 Speaker 1: as we've said before, pre refrigeration, people frequently slaughtered their 318 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:25,200 Speaker 1: pigs before winter and salted the pork to make it 319 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:25,800 Speaker 1: through the season. 320 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:27,920 Speaker 2: So it kind of just makes sense. 321 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:32,560 Speaker 1: Yes, delicious sense, delicious delicious sense. And there's a pun there, 322 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:37,040 Speaker 1: there's a pun. But anyway, let's move on from bad 323 00:17:37,119 --> 00:17:38,639 Speaker 1: puns and talk about some history. 324 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:40,520 Speaker 2: Yes, but first let's take a quick break for a 325 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:51,640 Speaker 2: word from a sponsor, and we're back. 326 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:54,960 Speaker 1: Thank you, sponsor, Yes, thank you. Black eyed peas most 327 00:17:55,080 --> 00:18:00,639 Speaker 1: likely originated in Africa or possibly Asia. Probably Africa, it's 328 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:04,320 Speaker 1: still debated because their taxonomic name suggest they are from Asia, 329 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:06,639 Speaker 1: but records seem to indicate they were growing in the 330 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:09,200 Speaker 1: wild in Africa prior to their existence in Asia. 331 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:12,240 Speaker 2: As always, we know that the names of things can 332 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:15,440 Speaker 2: always be trusted. Oh absolutely yes. But yeah, different people 333 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:20,399 Speaker 2: at different times have thought Asia Africa mysteries history. 334 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:24,280 Speaker 1: They were domesticated in West Africa at least five thousand 335 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:27,280 Speaker 1: years ago, and they've been cultivated since prehistoric times in 336 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:31,080 Speaker 1: tropical Asia and especially in what is now India. Ancient 337 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:32,359 Speaker 1: China grew them too. 338 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:34,320 Speaker 2: They are related to the mung be. 339 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:40,080 Speaker 1: One of our interviewees from New Orleans, doctor Jessica B. Harris, 340 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:42,200 Speaker 1: wrote an article over at The New York Times about 341 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:44,119 Speaker 1: the history of black eyed peas that was super helpful 342 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:46,000 Speaker 1: for all of this. Totally go check it out if 343 00:18:46,040 --> 00:18:48,679 Speaker 1: you're interested. She also has a lot of books, how 344 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:51,400 Speaker 1: we highly recommend about all kinds of this stuff, all 345 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:55,679 Speaker 1: kinds of stuff that we're talking about. Ancient Greeks and 346 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:58,800 Speaker 1: Romans preferred the black eyed pea to the chickpea, apparently 347 00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:02,720 Speaker 1: apparently interestingly, black eyed peas have been considered a lucky 348 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:05,360 Speaker 1: food to eat on New Year's for a long time, 349 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:08,800 Speaker 1: at least as far back as five hundred CE, when 350 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:12,240 Speaker 1: the Talmud mentioned the eating of black eyed peas for Russhishana, 351 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:15,960 Speaker 1: the Jewish New Year. Some historians believe that Sephardic Jews 352 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:18,520 Speaker 1: brought this tradition with them when they immigrated to the 353 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:21,200 Speaker 1: United States, and records put the first wave of Sephardik 354 00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:24,840 Speaker 1: Jews in Georgia by the seventeen thirties. This is around 355 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:27,600 Speaker 1: the same time records of black eyed peas suggest that 356 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:31,120 Speaker 1: they were plentiful in that area, enough so people started 357 00:19:31,119 --> 00:19:34,800 Speaker 1: calling them field peas. The name cowpeas also popped. 358 00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:35,480 Speaker 2: Up around this time. 359 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:39,119 Speaker 1: Allegedly they got their name because of their association as animal. 360 00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:43,439 Speaker 2: Feed, particularly for cows. There you go, but that's one version. 361 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:47,119 Speaker 1: These names cow pee and field pea could have originated 362 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:50,800 Speaker 1: much earlier, with the common practice in Africa of planting 363 00:19:50,840 --> 00:19:53,439 Speaker 1: the peas along the border of fields to help manage 364 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:56,440 Speaker 1: the weed population fortify the soil, and the stems and 365 00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:58,399 Speaker 1: leaves gave cow something to snack on. 366 00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:00,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, the leaves and pods are considered like a really 367 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:04,960 Speaker 2: good livestock snack. Sounds good. I don't know why I 368 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:05,760 Speaker 2: have the leaves. 369 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:08,840 Speaker 1: I love eating leaves, which is a weird thing to say, 370 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:10,840 Speaker 1: but I love that every time we find out, Oh, 371 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:12,320 Speaker 1: you could actually eat the leaves of this. 372 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:17,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, I know, right, yeah, all right. Oh. 373 00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:20,720 Speaker 1: And also some account suggest that Egyptian pharaohs ate black 374 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:22,840 Speaker 1: eyed peas to grant them humility. 375 00:20:23,359 --> 00:20:25,280 Speaker 2: Okay, so yeah, who knows. 376 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:29,760 Speaker 1: The black eyed pea arrived to the New World from 377 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:32,639 Speaker 1: West Africa as part of the slave trade, perhaps arriving 378 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:34,840 Speaker 1: to the West Indies first and then migrating through the 379 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:38,120 Speaker 1: American South. The first written records put the black eyed 380 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:42,800 Speaker 1: pea in the Americas by sixteen seventy four. One historian wrote, 381 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 1: quoted from doctor Harris's article, everywhere African slaves arrived in 382 00:20:46,800 --> 00:20:51,680 Speaker 1: substantial numbers. Cowpis followed. Prior to the Revolutionary War. They 383 00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:56,520 Speaker 1: became one of South Carolina's biggest cash crops, and while 384 00:20:56,560 --> 00:20:59,119 Speaker 1: they were at first relegated as a food for the 385 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:02,160 Speaker 1: enslaved or white people or as animal feed, they did 386 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:04,200 Speaker 1: start to make their way into the diets of middle 387 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:08,000 Speaker 1: and upper class Americans. Mary Randolph's eighteen twenty four version 388 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:11,320 Speaker 1: of The Virginia Housewife featured a recipe of fried field 389 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:17,640 Speaker 1: pea patties. Yeah, as with most Southern foods, several accounts 390 00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:20,240 Speaker 1: of the traditional Southern New Year's meal. Posit that it 391 00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:24,280 Speaker 1: spread during the Civil War after Union soldiers plundered Confederate 392 00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:27,399 Speaker 1: food supplies but left behind the pork and the peas, 393 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:30,960 Speaker 1: believing that they were animal feed, or, in the case 394 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:33,040 Speaker 1: of the pork, salted pork, they might not have really 395 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:36,040 Speaker 1: cared to have it. In popular retellings of this version 396 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:39,240 Speaker 1: of events, Confederate soldiers felt lucky to have access to 397 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:42,760 Speaker 1: these foods when provisions were scarce, especially during the winter. 398 00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:45,919 Speaker 1: Yet another story posits that black eyed peas represent the 399 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:49,960 Speaker 1: emancipation of enslaved African Americans. The first New Year's after 400 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:52,200 Speaker 1: the Civil War ended was the date they were officially 401 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:58,120 Speaker 1: granted freedom. Some records suggest that some men even put 402 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:00,840 Speaker 1: black eyed peas in their wallets prosperity. 403 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:03,879 Speaker 2: Yeah, keep the money next to the money, of course, sure, 404 00:22:04,119 --> 00:22:05,199 Speaker 2: Why didn't I think of that? 405 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:09,280 Speaker 1: The Creole people added black eyed peas, rice and pickled 406 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:13,040 Speaker 1: pork to make a dish called jumbalayah oh congree congree, 407 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:14,160 Speaker 1: meaning black eyed peas. 408 00:22:15,480 --> 00:22:17,960 Speaker 2: Thomas Jefferson planted the peas at Monticello. I feel like 409 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:18,879 Speaker 2: he planted every night. 410 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:23,000 Speaker 1: Didn't plant gosh, that is a question for a future 411 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:27,240 Speaker 1: episode when it comes to Hop and John, sometimes called 412 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:31,120 Speaker 1: happy John specifically, and this is an American Southern dish 413 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:33,840 Speaker 1: of black eyed peas, rice, off in pork or a hambone, 414 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:36,960 Speaker 1: and definitely seasoning. Although there are a lot of versions 415 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:41,440 Speaker 1: of it if you aren't familiar, historians agree that its 416 00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:44,160 Speaker 1: roots go back to West African dishes composed of rice 417 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 1: and black eyed peas. Dishes similar to hop and John 418 00:22:47,119 --> 00:22:50,480 Speaker 1: are made in parts of Africa to this day. Records 419 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:52,720 Speaker 1: show the dish was a staple among enslave people in 420 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:56,000 Speaker 1: the southern US, particularly in the Gola country of South Carolina. 421 00:22:56,400 --> 00:22:58,959 Speaker 1: Rice and black eyed peas were both cash crops in 422 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:02,800 Speaker 1: that area. Still, others posit the dish might be Islamic 423 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:06,240 Speaker 1: in origin, since Cynicalese and Nigerian Muslims have a similar 424 00:23:06,280 --> 00:23:09,760 Speaker 1: dish swapping out the pork for jerked beef. Recipes for 425 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:13,840 Speaker 1: the dish started appearing in early twentieth century American cookbooks. 426 00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:16,000 Speaker 2: Didn't we and to. 427 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:18,440 Speaker 1: Think about it, didn't we have some hopin John when 428 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:20,040 Speaker 1: we were in Asheville. 429 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:23,080 Speaker 2: Yes, yes, it was part of the very first meal 430 00:23:23,119 --> 00:23:24,880 Speaker 2: that we had when we got up there at the 431 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:27,800 Speaker 2: Sierra Nevada brewery. That's right. Yeah, And it was a 432 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:30,399 Speaker 2: very very fancy hopin' John dish. It was the best 433 00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:34,320 Speaker 2: nineteen dollars I've ever spent on Hopin' John. It was good. 434 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:35,440 Speaker 2: It was really good. 435 00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:37,560 Speaker 1: Huh, Because I was about to say, I can't remember 436 00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:38,679 Speaker 1: the last time I had it, but that was it, 437 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:39,200 Speaker 1: all right? 438 00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:39,440 Speaker 2: Cool. 439 00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:44,960 Speaker 1: Speculation abounds about the origin of the name. One points 440 00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:48,359 Speaker 1: to the old expression hopin' John used to invite guests 441 00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:51,480 Speaker 1: over for a meal. Yet another describes a hilarious and 442 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:55,600 Speaker 1: probably not real tradition where children would hop around the 443 00:23:55,680 --> 00:23:58,040 Speaker 1: table once before digging into this dish. 444 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:00,000 Speaker 2: Oh that sounds like a thing I would have done. 445 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:02,359 Speaker 2: And when I was a kid, if someone had told 446 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:05,119 Speaker 2: me this is lucky do it? I would have been like, 447 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:08,800 Speaker 2: this is an excuse to Greek some havoc in this kitchen, Okay, 448 00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:09,480 Speaker 2: because when. 449 00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:13,679 Speaker 1: I read it, I thought, why, But you're right, maybe 450 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:16,959 Speaker 1: kids are kids, like any any reason to hop around, 451 00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:21,160 Speaker 1: I suppose. In his nineteen eighty one book Rice and Beans, 452 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:25,159 Speaker 1: The Itinerary of a Recipe, John Thorne theorized that the 453 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:28,280 Speaker 1: name hopping John was a corruption from the French poiu 454 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:32,000 Speaker 1: pigeon pigeon peas. Pigeon pas didn't really take off in 455 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:34,720 Speaker 1: the southern United States, but they did in the Caribbean, 456 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:38,240 Speaker 1: so the term might have resulted from some confusion. 457 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:40,479 Speaker 2: It seems like a big leap. I don't know. 458 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:47,160 Speaker 1: I can hear the johnjeon Jean, Sure, yeah, who knows. 459 00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:51,560 Speaker 2: Yeah. If we do it, we can get mysteries histories 460 00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:52,200 Speaker 2: all the time. 461 00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:56,600 Speaker 1: From a nineteen thirteen Chicago Tribune article called Secret of 462 00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:58,920 Speaker 1: Hopping John out recipe told for. 463 00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:02,159 Speaker 2: The Dixie dish. The Secret of Hopping John is out, 464 00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:04,360 Speaker 2: and they do put the G at the end. They do. 465 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:09,000 Speaker 1: The composition of this famous Southern dish, about which successive 466 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:11,760 Speaker 1: generations of the cooks of Dixie have thrown a veil 467 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:16,280 Speaker 1: of mystery has been disclosed by an investigation conducted by 468 00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:20,520 Speaker 1: the Department of Agriculture, and is given to the world 469 00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:23,480 Speaker 1: in Farmer's Bulletin number five oh nine. 470 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:27,120 Speaker 2: Issued today, not five o nine five oh nine gosh. 471 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:30,520 Speaker 1: This is the recipe guaranteed by the government for the 472 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:34,800 Speaker 1: production of the true Hopping John. Soak one quart of 473 00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:37,840 Speaker 1: dried cowpies overnight and water enough to cover. Cook until 474 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:40,560 Speaker 1: they are tender, adding more water if necessary. Cook a 475 00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:41,399 Speaker 1: pint of rice and. 476 00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:42,919 Speaker 2: Three pints of water. 477 00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:46,800 Speaker 1: Mix the two season with two tablespoons of butter and 478 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:50,199 Speaker 1: two teaspoonfuls of salt. A little beef pork may be 479 00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:52,200 Speaker 1: added to the water in which the peas are cooked. 480 00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:56,040 Speaker 1: Then the bulletin proceeds to sing the virtues of cowpies 481 00:25:56,080 --> 00:25:59,960 Speaker 1: in general, which the government opines ought to be better. 482 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:03,920 Speaker 2: There no north of the Mason and Dixon's line. 483 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:04,560 Speaker 1: That is. 484 00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:10,040 Speaker 2: That's wonderful. It's so funny, especially because yes, they definitely 485 00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:11,520 Speaker 2: call it hopping John. 486 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:17,520 Speaker 1: Yes, this mysterious Southern dish. 487 00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:23,120 Speaker 2: Oh. And in the first few decades of the twentieth century, 488 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:25,879 Speaker 2: black eyed peas and their cousins were the most popular 489 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:29,720 Speaker 2: legome for livestock feed in the United States. That all 490 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:32,880 Speaker 2: started changing with the introduction of soybeans. And I think 491 00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:36,200 Speaker 2: the flip happened in the nineteen thirties where soybeans took over, 492 00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:39,840 Speaker 2: and then later with a pest that started blighting southern 493 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:42,960 Speaker 2: pea crops. This weavil that just weeks havoc on black 494 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:45,640 Speaker 2: eyed peas. So production here in the States is much 495 00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:47,920 Speaker 2: smaller now than it was at the beginning of the 496 00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:51,680 Speaker 2: twentieth century, and mostly for human consumption, and it's still 497 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:54,280 Speaker 2: troubled by this weavil. I read that a lot of 498 00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:57,560 Speaker 2: Georgia growers are really having problems, weavil problems. Did we 499 00:26:57,640 --> 00:27:01,080 Speaker 2: see a giant statue of a weavil? We did? It 500 00:27:01,119 --> 00:27:04,800 Speaker 2: was real weird but kind of wonderful, but kind of wonderful. Yeah, 501 00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:07,800 Speaker 2: that was on our field trip to Dothan, Alabama. Future 502 00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:09,040 Speaker 2: episode about peanuts. 503 00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:11,919 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, all right, but now we got to talk 504 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:15,480 Speaker 1: about a very important event we do in Los Angeles 505 00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:20,720 Speaker 1: in nineteen ninety five, one will i Am Apple d'app 506 00:27:20,960 --> 00:27:26,360 Speaker 1: or perhaps it's apld ap with thoughts in between. We're 507 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:30,720 Speaker 1: a little behind the We're a little two, we are 508 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:35,000 Speaker 1: we Are. Jamie Gomez aka Taboo and Kim Hill formed 509 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:39,680 Speaker 1: a little group called Black Eyed Pods what YEP later renamed. 510 00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:40,760 Speaker 2: The Black Eyed Peas. Oh. 511 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:44,080 Speaker 1: If you're wondering why they chose that name, will i 512 00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:47,040 Speaker 1: Am once said that black eyed peas are food for 513 00:27:47,119 --> 00:27:50,760 Speaker 1: the soul, while also citing their red hot chili peppers 514 00:27:50,760 --> 00:27:53,399 Speaker 1: as an influence and saying he wanted to name the 515 00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:57,240 Speaker 1: band after a food like them, aw black eyed peas. 516 00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:01,720 Speaker 2: The beans enjoyed a in the sun when the UNS 517 00:28:01,800 --> 00:28:06,480 Speaker 2: of Food and Agriculture Organization named twenty sixteen the International 518 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:10,760 Speaker 2: Year of Pulses, which is another word for dried beans 519 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:16,359 Speaker 2: like black eyed peas. Okay's like a guy like pulses. Yeah, good, 520 00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:20,119 Speaker 2: pulses are great. Yeah, and I enjoy having work. Yes, wonderful. 521 00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:24,880 Speaker 1: As of twenty nineteen, scientists that U see Riverside decoded 522 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:27,639 Speaker 1: the genome of the black eyed pea in hopes of 523 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:30,119 Speaker 1: feeding the world's growing population, especially as the effects of 524 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:33,920 Speaker 1: climate change become more apparent. Understanding the black eyed peas 525 00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:37,160 Speaker 1: toughness could help toughen up other crops as well. It's 526 00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:39,520 Speaker 1: one of only a handful of other crops to be 527 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:40,840 Speaker 1: completely sequenced and. 528 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:44,520 Speaker 2: Do they contain about thirty seven thousand genes. So it's 529 00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:49,000 Speaker 2: impressive work. That is impressive work. And yeah, the research continues. 530 00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:52,080 Speaker 2: Farmers and scientists are looking at different varieties of black 531 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:54,560 Speaker 2: eyed peas to find winning traits, you know, a particular 532 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:58,160 Speaker 2: resistance to drought or tolerance to pests, diseases and competing weeds. 533 00:28:58,760 --> 00:29:02,520 Speaker 2: In general, research of this type has been done with 534 00:29:02,920 --> 00:29:06,120 Speaker 2: this bean than other sustenance crops like corn or rice 535 00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:10,040 Speaker 2: or wheat or potatoes. Basically because black eyed peas are 536 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:13,440 Speaker 2: less finicky. But yeah, as with any crop, developing varieties 537 00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:16,120 Speaker 2: that are even hardier and more productive would help farmers out, 538 00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:20,880 Speaker 2: which helps everybody out there. You go. It's exciting stuff, 539 00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:25,080 Speaker 2: it is. I'm feeling inspired me too. This was I 540 00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:27,120 Speaker 2: had no idea what we were in for when we 541 00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:29,560 Speaker 2: started doing this research, and it turned out to be 542 00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:31,760 Speaker 2: more more delightful than I thought. 543 00:29:32,760 --> 00:29:35,680 Speaker 1: I feel like that happens with everything we do, and 544 00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:37,680 Speaker 1: that's one of my favorite things of the job. 545 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:42,880 Speaker 2: Me too. There's always some weird fact about bacteria arts 546 00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:45,600 Speaker 2: that I'm just like, well, this has made it all 547 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:47,480 Speaker 2: worthwhile everything. 548 00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:50,320 Speaker 1: This is a good way to start the year. It is, 549 00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:54,520 Speaker 1: and we hope that some of you at the very 550 00:29:54,560 --> 00:29:56,600 Speaker 1: least found this as entergati as we did. But maybe 551 00:29:56,640 --> 00:29:59,200 Speaker 1: you're having some black eyed peas or maybe you're convinced 552 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:02,600 Speaker 1: to go get them now. Yeah, yesh, But we do 553 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:03,800 Speaker 1: have a little bit more for you. 554 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:05,760 Speaker 2: We do. But first we've got one more quick break for. 555 00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:22,120 Speaker 1: A word from our sponsor, and that brings us to 556 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:24,600 Speaker 1: the end of this classic episode. We hope that you 557 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:27,480 Speaker 1: enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed rerunning it. And 558 00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:31,360 Speaker 1: we hope that whatever you're doing, that you're whether you're 559 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:34,440 Speaker 1: celebrating what you're celebrating, no matter what, you're having a 560 00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:37,560 Speaker 1: wonderful time, and you're making delicious food and you're sharing 561 00:30:37,560 --> 00:30:38,240 Speaker 1: it with people. 562 00:30:38,520 --> 00:30:42,000 Speaker 2: Yes, oh yes, I mean all the time, but especially yes, 563 00:30:42,760 --> 00:30:45,960 Speaker 2: absolutely happy, happy you, happy. 564 00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:50,120 Speaker 1: You, happy you, And please let us know about the 565 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:54,680 Speaker 1: recipes that you like to make around this time to celebrate. 566 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:58,360 Speaker 2: We would so love to hear. 567 00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:00,880 Speaker 1: From you, and thank you so much for supporting us 568 00:31:00,920 --> 00:31:04,640 Speaker 1: and for listening. We really appreciate love you you guys. 569 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:06,160 Speaker 1: You guys are the best part of our show. 570 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:09,360 Speaker 2: Absolutely absolutely so. 571 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:12,680 Speaker 1: If you would like to email as you can, our 572 00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:15,360 Speaker 1: email is Hello at savorpod dot com. 573 00:31:15,480 --> 00:31:18,560 Speaker 2: We're also on social media. You can find us on 574 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:22,800 Speaker 2: Instagram and the Blue Sky at saver pod and we 575 00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:25,280 Speaker 2: do hope to hear from you. Savor is a production 576 00:31:25,320 --> 00:31:28,200 Speaker 2: of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, you 577 00:31:28,280 --> 00:31:32,040 Speaker 2: can visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 578 00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:34,800 Speaker 2: listen to your favorite shows. Thanks as always to our 579 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:38,640 Speaker 2: superproducers Dylan Fagan and Andrew Howard. Thanks to you for listening, 580 00:31:38,760 --> 00:31:40,640 Speaker 2: and we hope that lots more good things are coming 581 00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:48,800 Speaker 2: your way.