Honey on your black-eyed peas
Black-eyed peas waiting for a drizzle of honey
Black-eyed peas are one of the four common dried beans and peas here in Girona, Catalonia, Spain, the other three being lentils, chickpeas and alubias (white beans).
Because I wasn’t sure how they were served, I asked an expert, the butcher’s wife who sells them ready cooked.
With a drizzle of olive oil.
Or cooked with a bit of cured pork of some kind, onions, and garlic.
Or, in winter, with a drizzle of honey.
Her remarks opened a whole world of sweetened dried beans, not least the red adzuki bean paste of the Japanese, the modern sweet baked beans of the Americans (I understand they used not to be so sweet).
Also very popular in the “south” of the USA. Most of us who grew up with some of that tradition will ALWAYS have to have some on New Years Day to bring a good year — usually cooked with ham-hock. Have never used olive oil or any type of sweetener — broadening horizons.
In our house they are a must on New Year’s Day. Thanks for the comments.
How about honey beans also known as Oloyin or Nigerian brown beans (there are also brown beans that aren’t sweet), that just naturally have a sweet taste, no honey or sugar added. They look a bit like a dried out and very pale coffee bean…they are cousins to the black-eyed pea! Much sought after and available at a good African market in almost any city where there is a significant population of people from Nigeria and/or western Africa. Just picked up a supply recently…But I will try this. Always good to mix it up with Black eyed-peas. Recently preparing akara made me develop a whole new appreciation for them. They are definitely a food that did not send me running to the table for first or back to the kitchen for seconds as a child. I once told my mom I didn’t need the good luck when she made them for New Year’s Day dinner.
Hmm, may be those are the beans that came round every third day when I was in Nigeria. They sound more like what I have than anything I have experienced since. Will have to search when I am in the US. Thanks for the comparison.
When the butcher’s wife says “honey”, does she mean honey-honey or sugar syrup that is not actually honey, but is called that anyway? This syrup is served with a range of savoury items the most common I can think of is battered eggplant.
Interesting to see that 3/4 of the pulse are Old World in origin especially the black eyed peas which are much more restricted in use in Europe then lentils or chickpeas.
You know Adam, that would have been my first question in Mexico where “miel” (honey, syrup) always has a modifier–de agave, de abeja, de caña, etc. It didn’t even occur to me here. I will try to ask before I leave. This is I suspect a rustic treatment so I would imagine miel de abeja. But I also suspect whatever was on hand.
They sure are beautiful. And think of the direct connections of sweetened beans. The Philippines especially with halo halo.
SO were your ears ringing? Ruth and I both had nice things to say about you yesterday.
They are Ken. Not sure the halo halo is a direct connection. I would say regional with a touch of Japanese imperialism (shave ice) and American (condensed milk). No ringing ears, but if that was Ruth Alegria I’m so sorry to have missed a meeting of two great friends of mine.
Speaking of odd uses of honey, we once enjoyed little corn cakes, Tortus de Maíz, topped with crumbles of Queso de Cabrales and a drizzle of honey. That was in the small cattle town of Benia de Onis, Asturias—about as far from Catalunya as one can get while in Spain.
http://www.pbase.com/panos/image/39578307
Saludos,
Don Cuevas
Thanks, Michael. Just looked at your photo. I think honey and a salty cheese might be an interesting taste.
I’ll have to try a touch of honey this winter. In the meantime, I think your use of alubias to indicate white beans is wrong. My feeling is that alubias are any dried Phaseolus bean. the black alubias of Tolosa being a case in point.
Hi Jeremy. You are right. Oh I want my books and dictionaries.
black-eyed beans: in Greek, mavromatika
just like in spain, mavromatika are one of the five most popular beans in Greek cuisine (along with small-medium white beans, chickpeas, giant beans and broad beans)
most often eaten as a cold salad, or a hot stew – always mixed with herbs and/or greens
fresh black-eyed beans in their pods are also one of the more popular bean dishes in summer, cooked with tomato, like a stew
but as far as i know, never sweet
Thanks for all this information, Maria.
Old southern song: “I eat my peas with honey, I’ve done it all my life. …
It makes my peas taste funny, but it keeps them on my knife. …”