The planting of crops of black-eyed peas was promoted by George Washington Carver because, as a legume, it adds nitrogen to the soil and has high nutritional value.

Throughout the South, the black-eyed pea is still a widely used ingredient today[11] in soul food and cuisines of the Southern United States.

[14] The peas are typically cooked with a pork product for flavoring (such as bacon, fatback, ham bones, or hog jowls) and diced onion, and served with a hot chili sauce or a pepper-flavored vinegar.

Two popular explanations for the South's association with peas and good luck date back to the American Civil War.

The first is associated with General William T. Sherman's march of the Union Army to the sea, during which they pillaged the Confederates' food supplies.

Stories say peas and salted pork were said to have been left untouched, because of the belief that they were animal food unfit for human consumption.

Southerners considered themselves lucky to be left with some supplies to help them survive the winter, and black-eyed peas evolved into a representation of good luck.

[18] As Sherman's march was from November 15 to December 21, 1864, it is improbable, although possible, that the Union Army would have come across standing fields of black-eyed peas as relayed in most versions of the legend.

In another Southern tradition, black-eyed peas were a symbol of emancipation for African-Americans who had previously been enslaved, and who after the Civil War were officially freed on New Year's Day.

In Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, lobya or green black-eyed beans are cooked with onion, garlic, tomatoes, peeled and chopped, olive oil, salt and black pepper.

In Nigeria and Ghana within West Africa and the Caribbean, a traditional dish called akara or koose comprises mashed black-eyed peas with added salt, onions and/or peppers.

In the Hindi dialects of North India, black-eyed peas are called lobia (लोबीया) / rongi (रोंगी) and are cooked like daal , and served with boiled rice.

In Tamil Nadu, they are called karamani/thattapayaru (Tamil- காரமணி/தட்டப்பயிறு) and used in various recipes, including being boiled and made into a salad-like sundal (often during the Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratri festivals).

In Cyprus (φρέσκο λουβί (fresko luvi)), Greece (μαυρομάτικα) and Turkey (börülce salatası), blanched black-eyed peas are eaten as salad with a dressing of olive oil, salt, lemon juice, onions and garlic.

Texas caviar, another traditional dish in the American South, is made from black-eyed peas marinated in vinaigrette-style dressing and chopped garlic.

[29] In Brazil's northeastern state of Bahia, especially in the city of Salvador, black-eyed peas (named "feijão fradinho" there) are used in a traditional street food of West African cuisine origin called acarajé.

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.