New Years day traditional meal

D

DHH

Member
Original Poster
In the South people eat turnip greens for green backs or money thru out the year. The black -eyed peas are for good luck. Any meat is fine to use. Have eat this on New Year's Day for years.
 
Phonedave

Phonedave

Well-Known Member
HouCuseChickie said:
I grew up in NJ and have known about these food traditions since I was a kid. I'm not sure if it's because my dad's love of cooking, the 8 months they lived in GA, my mom's seasonal food magazines, or what. Pickled herring was one more they had in our mix, which I think has some European origins. I loved the herring, could handle the black eyed peas, but always took a tiny serving of greens to keep the peace with my parents. While Homecomin' seems like the most likely one to have something seasonal like this, I can't find any evidence to show that they've ever offered such a seasonal menu. In light of that, you might find some kind of offering at Publix since a lot of local markets stock up for the holidays. I can't recall from my FL years if our Publix ever offered any of it, but I know I see it each year here in TX. If not, there may be some local Soul Food restaurants that might have a New Year's special for these traditions that may possibly also offer delivery.
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I am in NJ as well. We seem to have a pretty diverse food culture.

Pickled herring is Norwegian (at least as far as I know). My grandmother was born in Norway, and we always had pickled herring on new years eve. Lutefisk is Norwegian too, but that is a Christmas thing (that I don't think anybody really enjoys) My grandfather (who was 100% German background - his parents married in Germany but he was born here) made his own pickled herring from 10lb tubs of salt herring. He loved pickled herring, but I think he got the idea from my grandmother.

I used to do black eyed peas and greens for New Years too, but there are only a handful of people who would be at my house on New Years that would even approach peas and greens. Me, I love them, but I am not eating 10 servings by myself.
 
HouCuseChickie

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
Phonedave said:
I am in NJ as well. We seem to have a pretty diverse food culture.

Pickled herring is Norwegian (at least as far as I know). My grandmother was born in Norway, and we always had pickled herring on new years eve. Lutefisk is Norwegian too, but that is a Christmas thing (that I don't think anybody really enjoys) My grandfather (who was 100% German background - his parents married in Germany but he was born here) made his own pickled herring from 10lb tubs of salt herring. He loved pickled herring, but I think he got the idea from my grandmother.

I used to do black eyed peas and greens for New Years too, but there are only a handful of people who would be at my house on New Years that would even approach peas and greens. Me, I love them, but I am not eating 10 servings by myself.
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I found an article detailing several cultures that believe in the consumption of pickled herring. It noted a number of European countries/regions (Scandinavian, Dutch, Nordic, Polish, Baltic) as well as people of Judaic faith. They noted that the shiny silver scales were likely associated with money and consumed to help bring them wealth in the new year.

The backstory on black eyed peas took me by surprise, because I'd never heard this from my family. Apparently they're one of five foods mentioned in the Jewish Talmud and are to be consumed on Rosh Hashanah. Although, it did go on to say that the black eyed pea was domesticated in Africa over 5,000 years ago and likely first came to North America by way of slave ships. Supposedly Jewish settlers were known to be in what's now the state of GA as early as 1733, so there's a possibility of a melding of traditions. It did go on to quote a phrase I've heard several times since moving south: Peas for pennies, greens for dollars, and cornbread for gold. I've had some really good collared greens, so I don't mind them as much, but don't go out of my way to make them.

It mentioned one other that I forgot and one that I hadn't heard before. Growing up, I recall some Italian friends eating lentils. The other was pork and kraut. Supposedly this is big in the midwestern US, but has roots in people with German, Polish, Hungarian and Czech ancestry. My paternal grandmother had German roots and I can't recall this being a tradition. We're thinking about smoking a pork butt this year, so I can buy some sauerkraut and a jar of these bad boys and be done with it.

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Phonedave

Phonedave

Well-Known Member
rhythmlife07 said:
Just dropping in to add a NE Ohio/German/Pennsylvania Dutch family meal. New Year's Eve (and leftover on New Year's Day) is pork and sauerkraut with mashed potatoes and yeast rolls!

Made it for my East Tennessee in-laws last year. They were SO skeptical until they took a bite!
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I like sauerkraut mixed into the mashed potatoes. Normally I am not a big "mix everything on the plate into one big mass" kind of guy, but sauerkraut with mashed potato is an exception (it's like a pierogi :) )
 
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