Good luck offerings abound around the New Year, but few are as distinctly Southern as Hoppin’ John. In the United States, Hoppin’ John—a savory combination of rice, beans, and pork—has been ladled into Low Country dishes for centuries, becoming one of the country’s most iconic New Year’s Day suppers. And while mysteries persist concerning the origins of the catchy name, a few things are clear about its preparation and flavor. According to most food historians, enslaved people in the antebellum South brought a rice preparation similar to pilaf (alternately called…
