Every new year, people — especially those whose roots run deep in the South — soak black-eyed peas to make their favorite good luck dish, Hoppin' John. Beloved by all but commonly misunderstood, the ...

In Dakar, Senegal, it’s called thiebou niébé (che-boo nee-eb-bay). It’s a dish that traveled across the Middle Passage, stowed in the memories of the enslaved Africans who built what Karen Hess called ...

There are all sorts of traditions that ring in the new year, but I can’t think of one tastier than the custom of eating black-eyed peas, collard greens, and cornbread on Jan. 1. Those dishes encompass ...