Our first night on the road on our trip North found us in Dothan, Alabama. And since I’m always looking for REAL Southern food when we’re in the South, we just HAD to eat at a place called Mom’s Kitchen.
Our server was a very friendly and helpful young lady named Margaret. When we ordered unsweetened iced tea instead of the old Southern standby “Sweet Tea”…she KNEW we weren’t from around those parts!
The menu didn’t turn out to be what I had hoped for. Mostly sandwiches, and not many authentic Southern dishes….and I was REALLY craving a SALAD. But one item jumped out at me from the “sides” menu…
Zipper Peas!
When I asked Margaret to explain them…she was at a loss for words. It seems EVERYBODY in Alabama knows what zipper peas are…but she really couldn’t explain it to this Nosy Northerner…
Well, of course I ordered them…and while the order was being prepared I Googled zipper peas. Turns out they are a legume that originated in Africa. They get their name from the stringy “zipper” that holds the pod closed. You shell them like regular peas…but they cook for a LONG time, unlike fresh garden peas we grow in Iowa. And they certainly weren’t green. And honestly…they looked like beans to me!
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| Zipper Peas…Interesting… |
I told Margaret they resembled Black Eyed Peas…but she assured me they are NOT the same. In fact, she disappeared into the kitchen and returned with some Black Eyed Peas to compare!
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