By Hollie Rollins, owner of Savory Spice Shop, Franklin
Here in the South, food is ingrained in our culture. With the New Year coming at us very quickly, we’ve decided to share some of the lucky symbolism of classic New Year foods and give you a few recipe ideas along the way.
New Year recipes draw on specific foods to symbolize prosperity for the coming year. Beans, representative of coins, are most commonly found in Hoppin’ John. While the history of the name is murky, black eyed peas are plentiful and symbolic of wealth and fortune for the coming year. For extra luck, make sure to consume at least 365 black eyed peas, one for each day of the year! The same dish is often served the next day, and renamed Skippin’ Jenny, to represent frugality and resourcefulness. While most recipes for Hoppin’ John merely call for cayenne, we suggest starting your year with a bit more flavor. Try using Cajun Blackening Seasoning or Black River Creole for a reinvented classic.
It’s hard to talk about beans without mentioning pork. Pigs don’t seem particularly significant, until you understand how they move and forage. With their snouts to the ground they root in the dirt as they move forward. Thus, eating pork on January 1st has come to stand for progress in the New Year. We suggest using both bacon and a ham hock in your Hoppin’ John for extra luck, not to mention extra flavor!
Green foods, symbolizing cash, are also thought to bring wealth. Southern Inspired Collards (recipe) complement any traditional meal. Using bacon in this will tie the flavors of your meal together. This recipe uses Berbere Ethopian Seasoning, but don’t let the name fool you. You could certainly use just paprika, cayenne, and garlic (which make up the base of this blend) to season your collards, but we like the slightly sweet notes added by the allspice, ginger, and cardamom.
Don’t forget about gold. For centuries, gold has been highly valued and synonymous with prosperity. On New Year ’s Day, in the south, this means cornbread. The golden turmeric and cheddar cheese powder in our Savory Spice Shop Corn Bread (recipe) might add a little extra prosperity to your year! To ensure extra fortune, add some kernels of freeze-dried corn as well.
The past year has been very exciting, with our store opening and getting to know many of you as loyal customers. As we look ahead to 2014, we want to thank each of you for “making every dish Savory.” May you have a very happy, delicious, and prosperous New Year!
Savory Spice Shop is located at 324 Main Street in Historic Downtown Franklin,Tn.
