A State-by-State Guide to America's Most Famous Foods

Hoppin' John is the traditional black-eyed pea, rice, and pork dish served in South Carolina. Legend has it that it received its name in the 1800s, when a one-legged black man named John peddled for it on the streets of Charleston. Other stories claim that the black-eyed pea became highly revered after it fed the masses during the Civil War.