Ewww yuck! That's my reaction upon 1st tasting a dish called Hoppin' John. Yet I eat the stuff every New Year's Eve & New Year's Day. But I do it for altruistic reasons. And everyone in my zip code and surrounding areas owes me an enormous debt of gratitude.
After getting struck by a 4th hurricane, after living in Vero Beach for only 6 yrs, I was starting to become unglued to the extent of being downright psychotic. The hurricane ordeal in itself is hair-raising enough. But the aftermath is another tribulation, usually prolonged; not to mention expensive!
There is an old superstition that eating a serving of Hoppin' John will ward off misfortune in the coming year. My anxiety was reaching the point of hysteria, plus I was desperate, and ready to try anything! But I couldn't remember if you were supposed to eat it on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day. I decided to eat it for both, so I'd be covered either way.
Frankly, most old southern dishes make me gag! And this one was no exception. Hoppin' John is mostly black-eyed peas with tomatoes and spices. Some versions of it have sausage. -- There is no way I would ever put sausage in my mouth. And that includes any type of sausage! (If you get my drift.) It's disgusting! Another has jalapino. --With my acid reflux, I'd end up in the hospital!
I found a version without those 2 ingredients. Instead it has onions and is more tolerable, but still awful-tasting. The nasty stuff comes in a can. Since I've already bought into the superstition, I feel that throwing any away would be unlucky. So I finish the can in small doses the rest of New Year's week. If I ate any larger portions, there would be hoppin' vomit.
Ever since I began this tradition on New Year's Eve 2005, Vero Beach and the surrounding areas have not been hit by any hurricanes! Of course we are now on the brink of the infamous 2012. I wonder if even ole Hoppin' John has magic powerful enough to tame that year if the Mayan prediction proves correct.
If a hurricane strikes, or the world ends in 2012; I could perish shrieking in dire agony from a horrendous demise. But at least I'll never stomach that $#!% &@^) Hoppn' Crud ever again! Until then, I'm gagging it down.
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