DURHAM, N.C. — It might be superstitious, but Toriano Fredericks doesn’t stray from the tradition of North Carolina food to bring in the new year.

What You Need To Know

  • Collard greens, black-eyed peas and pork are the traditional foods in North Carolina for the new year

  • Boricua Soul specializes in Puerto Rican food

  • The restaurant has two locations, in Durham and Wake Forest

“Collard greens, for example, represents money," Fredericks said. "Pork represents an animal that roots forward, and so you’re looking forward into the new year. The black-eyed peas represent coins.” 

While these three dishes have a long history in North Carolina, Fredericks has worked to introduce them alongside celebration foods from Puerto Rico.

“What we have here is arroz con gandules, which is yellow rice and pigeon peas. Again, a lot of food that we do serve is celebration food," Fredericks said. "Even though we sell it all year, arroz con gandules is a Puerto Rican dish you’ll find at any celebration."

Representation isn’t always easy to find when it comes to traditional cooking at New Year’s festivities.

Fredericks' wife is Puerto Rican, and he says giving others the opportunity to feel more at home during this time of year is important.

“So for a lot of people ordering online and seeing these things that give them a little bit of home, so that they can do it without all the fuss," Fredericks said.

Like many who look ahead to the new year, Fredricks too has goals set for his restaurant as it grows.

“We talk with the team every day about getting better," Fredericks said. "I’m serving each other, serving our community and I think the way we want to grow this year is understanding more of our business and our team, and growing together.”