Black-eyed peas are a variety of cowpea, pale in color with a small black spot at the eye of the seed, a staple of West African cooking and, by extension, Southern US and Caribbean cooking. Native to West Africa and carried to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade, they became central to Southern US foodways, most famously in Hoppin' John, a rice-and-pea dish traditionally eaten on New Year's Day for luck. Mild and earthy with a creamy texture once cooked, they work in soups, stews, salads, and fritters; in West Africa and Brazil they're ground into a batter for akara/acarajé fritters. Dried beans need soaking and a longer simmer, while canned ones just need a rinse before use.