A small, beige cowpea distinguished by the black spot at its hilum that resembles an eye, a staple legume across the American South, West Africa, and the Caribbean. Known as cowpeas or black-eyed peas, they cook relatively quickly without soaking, yielding a creamy texture and earthy, mildly sweet flavor. They are the essential ingredient of Hoppin’ John, the Southern New Year’s dish eaten for luck, and feature in countless stews and salads worldwide. Nutritionally they offer plant protein, fiber, folate, and iron at minimal cost, exemplifying the legume’s role as the poor man’s meat. Their hardiness in hot, dry climates makes them as agriculturally valuable as they are culinarily beloved.