Pea Primer

English Peas

Sometimes
called sweet
peas or shelling
peas, this is the
iconic pod
together with the round
peas indoors.
They’re marketed fresh, frozen,
and canned, and
the rough,
fibrous pods
aren’t edible.

Pea Sprouts

These little men are sprouted pea seeds using very tender stems and only a few leaves. Toss them in salads or use as a sandwich topper.

Snow Peas

A timeless addition to stir-fries, snow peas have flat, tender pods using tiny peas inside. Depending on the size, you may need to remove the tough string which runs along one side of the pod, but the rest you can gobble up.

Sugar Snap Peas

This number is a cross between a shelling pea plus a snow pea, which explains why they have tender, edible pods with large peas inside. They are great eaten raw in salads or on veggie platters. However, as with snow peas, you may want to eliminate the string before eating.

Pea Tendrils

The leaves and
curly tendrils of
pea plants are
sweet and mild,
and they’re yummy sautéed or
stir-fried with
garlic. ) Start looking for
them at the
farmers’ market.

This article originally appeared in our Winter/Spring 2021 issue. Get the journal here.