Hoppin’ john is a mostly edible good luck charm. Mostly edible, because not everyone should completely polish off their portion from the serving dish. One person will get a dime that has been buried in the mixture of black-eyed peas, rice, tomato sauce, and sausage or salt pork. That person is the ultra-lucky one, but Lowcountry lore says that all who eat hoppin’ john at the beginning of the new year will be blessed with good luck—and if they accompany the rice and beans with greens, they’ll likely make some money, too. While no claims are made for its ability to bring good fortune when eaten between January 2 and December 31, hoppin’ john is a welcome coastal cognate of Creole red beans and rice, eaten with gusto alongside soul food meals throughout the year. How hoppin’ john got its name remains a mystery. It may be a verbal corruption of the French-Caribbean name for black-eyed peas, pois pigeons.