"auspicious foods" news and stories

Many of us know that here in the US, it is traditionally thought to be good luck to eat beans, ham and greens around the New Year, to ensure prosperity and abundance in the year to come (check out Kat's post on Hoppin' John for more details on this auspicious combo).

This year, the blogger behind the site I'm Mad and I Eat decided to approach the traditional New Year's meal from a new angle. She cooked up a slab of Spam and made herself some Hawaiian-style Spam musubi. She served it up with a side of steamed edamame and kimchi. Beans, ham, rice and greens for a nice little New Year's meal.

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So we're in the final stretch of 2007 and it's time to start thinking about what you're going to eat on New Year's Day to set the tone for the rest of your year. In the South, it is considered good luck to eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day because they are thought to symbolize wealth (because they look like little coins when cooked). They also swell when they are cooked, which is another sign of prosperity. Cabbage is also an auspicious item to eat on the new year, as it's leaves can also look like cash.

After the jump is my friend Jacqueline's recipe for a dish she calls Southern Cavier. It's a blend of canned black eyed peas, Rotel tomatoes, peppers, corn and cilantro and it just delicious. It's best eaten with tortilla chips or along side a great piece of corn bread. The first time she brought it to a potluck we all fell on it like we'd never eaten before and later begged for the recipe. It's a tasty way to get these auspicious legumes into your diet.