Craves Soul Food

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A Gullah rice dish is like
“Red Rice” (a one-pot cooking dish) and is similar to West African “jollof rice” .
Jollof rice is a style of cooking brought by the Wolof and Mandé peoples of West Africa.

Gullah rice farmers once used the mortar and pestle and “fanner” (winnowing basket),
similar to tools used by West African rice farmers.

CRAVES Classic techniques, means and manner. “One-pot cooking”

Cooked rice and beans

Hoppin’ John: Tradition says that eating Hoppin’ John, collard greens and cornbread on New Year’s Day will bring a year filled with good luck. Made of black-eyed peas and rice, seasoned with (soup meats), onions, green peppers, and spices, the origin of the name is unknown, but it’s thought to be a Gullah dish from the colonial era.

Hoppin’ John…

–Great with piping hot cornbread. 

A combination that can’t be beat!

*Smaller than black-eyed peas, field peas are used in the Low Country, Charleston, South Carolina

Hoppin’ John’s history in the African-American community is clear. Black-eyed peas were brought to the United States by African slaves in the 1600s, and by the mid 1700s they were a major crop in Georgia. The black-eyed pea is one of the world’s ancient foods, originating in northern Africa and introduced to India more than 3,000 years ago.

Craving CRAVES Hoppin’ John:
Hoppin John is a uniquely lowcountry South Carolina dish, an enchanting 17th century sesame seed treat brought to American during the slave trade.

Tradition cooking Hoppin’ John, collard greens and cornbread on New Year’s Day will bring a year filled with good luck.

The South Carolina Encyclopedia describes Hoppin’ John as “a pilaf made with beans and rice.”

Hoppin’ John recipe is said to have come directly to America from West Africa.

The original West Africa version made with pigeon peas.

The original Charleston versioncalled for “one pound of bacon, one pint of red peas, one pint of rice.” Red peas are cowpeas or dried field peas and were used as cattle feed.

Peas or Beans: black-eyed peas and red peas are not peas but “legumes” beans.

Soul FoodTip #22
Before cooking. Sort through your beans. Sometimes there are little stones in there so you want to pour the beans into your hand before you put them in the pot. Check a handful at a time and discard any stones and rinse beans before cooking.

Blackeyed Peas are freezer friendly, so you can enjoy them all year long.

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Health Tip #18

A diet high in fiber can reduce your risk of developing diabetes and help lower blood cholesterol levels, which can reduce your risk of heartdisease.