Veggie Fact of the Day

New Veggie #63 Black-Eyed Peas

Black-Eyed Peas, also called Cowpea or lowbiya (hindi) is a popular bean used in the US, India, Pakistan, various countries in Africa, Turkey and also the Caribbean islands. They get their name from a small black circle in the center of the belly which is often called the eye. That is the point where the bean was attached to its pod. 

It has a rather smooth nutty and buttery flavor distinct from a lot of other beans. Black-Eyed peas are often paired with various greens such as chard, kale and arugula. 

Like other members of the bean and legume families, black-eyed peas contain a lot of protein, hardly any fat and a fair amount of starchy carbohydrates. 

A 1/2 cup serving of cooked black-eyed peas weighs in at only 99 calories and a 179 mcg serving of Vitamin B9 (folic acid) which is important for neural tube development in the fetus - hence black-eyed peas are a great food for pregnant women.