Cowpeas

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is a legume domesticated in Africa. Ecologically it does very well with African grains (one reason being its shade tolerance), and like other legumes it fixes nitrogen. It also grows well in drier climates than most legumes.n dome

Cowpeas have a good, slightly sweet, slightly dusty, flavor, that blends well with various other tastes. Two classic cowpea dishes are:

• Hopping John, well actually Hoppin John (origin of the name is lost in the mists of time but there are various stories) is basically cowpeas cooked with salt pork (you can substitute bacon) and rice. Supposed to be eaten on New Year's Eve for good luck dish. I can personally attest to this. I have eaten it several times on New Years Eve and, despite a very modest intellectual endowment, I am a tenured professor at one of the top universities in the coiuntry. Can't argue with that.
• Red-red is basically cowpeas flavored with onions, tomatoes, peppers and palm oil. Good recipe and discussion in the Congo cookbook.

In Nigeria I have enjoyed many meals featuring cowpeas with plantains fried in palm oil or with pepa soup.

This bean has long been popular in the American South, where it is often called black-eyed peas. It is a common item in soul food.