Listing description
The black-eyed pea, black-eyed bean or goat
pea, a legume, is a subspecies
of the cowpea, grown around
the world for its medium-sized, edible bean.
The
common commercial variety is called the California
Blackeye; it is pale-colored with a prominent black spot. In the American
South there are countless varieties, many of them heirloom, that vary in size
from the small lady peas to very large ones, as may be seen in the state and
municipal farmers' markets.
Detailed description
The color of the eye may be black, brown, red,
pink or green. All the peas are green when freshly shelled and brown or buff
when dried. A popular variation of the black-eyed pea is the purple hull pea; it is usually
green with a prominent purple or pink spot. The currently accepted botanical
name for the black-eyed pea is Vigna
unguiculata subsp. unguiculata, although
previously it was classified in the genus Phaseolus. Vigna
unguiculata subsp. dekindtiana is the wild relative and Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis is the related asparagus bean. Other beans
of somewhat similar appearance, such as the frijol
ojo de cabra (goat's eye
bean) of northern Mexico, are sometimes
incorrectly called black-eyed peas, and vice versa.
Culinary uses worldwide
"Hoppin' John", made of black-eyed peas, rice,
and pork,
is a traditional dish of Southern United States.
Texas caviar, another
traditional dish in the American South, is made from black-eyed peas marinated
in vinaigrette-style dressing and
chopped garlic, and served cold.[9]
In Egypt, black-eyed peas are called lobia.
Cooked with onions, garlic, meat, and tomato juice, and served with Egyptian
rice with some pastina called shaerya mixed in, it makes the most famous
rice dish in Egypt.
In Greece, Turkey (börülce
salatası), and Cyprus, black-eyed peas are eaten with vegetables, oil,
salt, and lemon.[10] In Syria, Jordan and Lebanon, lobya or green black-eyed-beans are cooked
with onion, garlic, tomatoes, peeled and chopped, olive oil, salt and black
pepper.
In the northern part of Colombia, they are used to
prepare a fritter called buñuelo.
The beans are immersed in water for a few hours to loosen their skins and
soften them. The skins are then removed either by hand or with the help of a
manual grinder. Once the skins are removed, the bean is ground or blended, and
eggs are added, which produces a soft mix. The mix is fried in hot oil. It
makes a nutritious breakfast meal.
In North India, black-eyed peas
are called lobia or rongi and cooked like daal,
served with boiled rice.[11] In Maharashtra they are called chawli (pronounced chau-lee) and made into a
curry called chawli amti[12] or chawli usal. In Karnataka they are called alsande kalu and used in the preparation of huli, a popular type of curry.[13] In Tamil Nadu they are called karamani and used in various recipes, including
being boiled and made into a salad-like sundal (often during the Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratri festivals).[14]
In West Africa and the Caribbean, a traditional dish
called akara is made of mashed black-eyed peas to
which is added salt, onions and/or peppers. The mixture is then fried.[15]
In Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, South America, it is one of the
most popular type of beans cooked with rice, the main one being red kidney beans, also referred to
as red beans. It is also cooked as a snack or appetizer on its own. On New
Year's Eve (referred to as Old Year's Night in Guyana and Suriname), families cook a
traditional dish called cook-up rice. The dish comprises rice, black-eyed peas, and other peas and a
variety of meats cooked in coconut milk and seasonings. According to tradition,
cook-up rice should be the first thing consumed in the New Year for good luck.
Cook-up rice is also made as an everyday dish.
In Brazil's northeastern state of Bahia, especially in the city of Salvador, black-eyed peas
are used in a traditional street food of Nigerian origin called akara.
The beans are peeled and mashed, and the resulting paste is made into balls and
deep fried in dendê. Acarajé is typically served split in half and
stuffed with vatapá, caruru, diced green and red tomatoes,
fried sun-dried shrimp and homemade hot
sauce.
In Indonesia, black-eyed peas
are called kacang tunggak or kacang
tolo in the local language.
They are commonly used in curry dishes such as sambal
goreng, a kind of hot and spicy red curry dish, sayur brongkos, or sayur lodeh.
PRICE
$6/KG OR $2.72/IB
For more information:
mobile: +2348039721941
contact person: emeaba uche
e-mail: emeabau@yahoo.com
