Why Jamaicans call it rice and peas when it's made with beans

First-time guests look at their plate, see red kidney beans, and ask where the peas are. It's a fair question. The answer is that in Jamaica, beans are peas.

The naming habit

Across much of the Caribbean, “peas” is the everyday word for beans and legumes in general. Kidney beans are “red peas.” Pigeon peas are “gungo peas.” So rice cooked with red kidney beans is simply rice and peas. Nobody on the island thinks twice about it.

What goes into it

A traditional pot of rice and peas is built from a few ingredients that do a lot of work:

• Red kidney beans, which also turn the rice a light reddish brown.
• Coconut milk, which makes the rice rich and slightly sweet.
• Thyme, scallion, and garlic for aroma.
• Pimento (allspice) in many kitchens.
• A whole scotch bonnet pepper, dropped in without cutting it. It adds flavor and fragrance but very little heat as long as it stays whole.

A Sunday tradition

In many Jamaican homes, rice and peas is the Sunday dinner side, served with chicken, curry goat, or oxtail. During the week, a lot of families eat plain white rice or other sides. Having it every day at a restaurant still feels a little like Sunday.

Gungo peas at Christmas

Around Christmas, many families switch to gungo peas (pigeon peas), which are in season in Jamaica at that time of year. Same method, different peas, and a taste many Jamaicans connect with the holidays.

Is rice and peas good for you?

It's a side dish, not a health food, but there's real nutrition in the pot. The red kidney beans bring plant-based protein and fiber, along with iron, folate, and potassium. Beans and rice eaten together also round out each other's proteins, which is one reason the pairing shows up in so many cultures around the world.

The coconut milk is what makes it rich (and adds some fat, so it eats more like a treat than a plain starch), and the way we make it the dish is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan. Pair it with a lighter main and it balances the plate nicely.

Why it goes with everything

Rice and peas is the balance on the plate. It soaks up the gravy from oxtail and curry goat, and the coconut cools things down when you're eating jerk. That's why you'll see it next to almost everything on our menu.