Pea

This article is about one species of plant and its variations. For other uses, see Pea (disambiguation).

Pea
Peas are stored in the pod.
Pea plant
Scientific classification
:	[[Template:Taxonomy/Lathyrus]]
Species:	Template:Taxonomy/LathyrusL. oleraceus
Binomial name
Template:Taxonomy/LathyrusLathyrus oleraceus Lam. (1779)<ref name = powo/>
Synonyms<ref name = powo>Lathyrus oleraceus Lam. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 9 August 2023.</ref>
Synonymy Lathyrus schaeferi Kosterin (2017) Pisum abyssinicum A.Braun (1841) Pisum album Garsault (1764), opus utique rej. Pisum arvense L. (1753) Pisum baclium Steud. (1841), not validly publ. Pisum biflorum Raf. (1810) Pisum borussicum Steud. (1841), not validly publ. Pisum chlorospermum Steud. (1841), not validly publ. Pisum coccineum Medik. (1787) Pisum coerulescens Steud. (1841), not validly publ. Pisum commune Clavaud (1884) Pisum elatius M.Bieb. (1808) Pisum elatum Ser. (1825) Pisum excorticatum Steud. (1841), not validly publ. Pisum fertile Steud. (1841), not validly publ. Pisum granulatum J.Lloyd (1844) Pisum hortense Asch. & Graebn. (1910) Pisum humile Mill. (1768) Pisum humile Boiss. & Noë (1856), nom. illeg. Pisum jomardii Schrank (1805) Pisum leptolobum Rchb. (1832) Pisum macrocarpum Ser. ex Schur (1866) Pisum macrospermum Steud. (1841) Pisum oleraceus var. govorovii Golodk. (1935) Pisum praecox Steud. (1841) Pisum prolificum Steud. (1841) Pisum pumilio (Meikle) Greuter (1973) Pisum quadratum (L.) Rchb. (1832) Pisum ramulare Rchb. (1832) Pisum roseum Steud. (1841), not validly publ. Pisum rugosum Steud. (1841), not validly publ. Pisum saccharatum Rchb. (1832) Pisum sativum L. (1753) Pisum sibiricum Steud. (1841), not validly publ. Pisum smyrnense Steud. (1841), not validly publ. Pisum syriacum C.O.Lehm. ex El-Gadi & al. (1987), nom. superfl. Pisum tetragonum Pasq. (1867) Pisum thebaicum Willd. (1814) Pisum transcaucasicum (Govorov) Stankov (1949), not validly publ. Pisum tuffetii R.Lesson (1835) Pisum umbellatum (L.) Mill. (1768) Pisum uniflorum Moench (1794) Pisum variegatum C.Presl (1826) Pisum viride Steud. (1841), not validly publ. Pisum vulgare J.Jundz. (1830) Pisum zeylanicum Steud. (1841), not validly publ.

Pea is a pulse or fodder crop, but the word often refers to the seed or sometimes the pod of this flowering plant species. Peas are eaten as a vegetable.

Carl Linnaeus gave the species the scientific name Pisum sativum in 1753 (meaning cultivated pea). Some sources now treat it as Lathyrus oleraceus;<ref name="powo" /><ref>Schaefer, Hanno; Hechenleitner, Paulina; Santos-Guerra, Arnoldo; de Sequeira, Miguel Menezes; Pennington, R Toby; Kenicer, Gregory; Carine, Mark A (2012). "Systematics, biogeography, and character evolution of the legume tribe Fabeae with special focus on the middle-Atlantic island lineages". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 12 (1): 250. Bibcode:2012BMCEE..12..250S. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-12-250. ISSN 1471-2148. PMC 3547781. PMID 23267563.</ref> however the need and justification for the change is disputed.<ref>Ellis, Noel; Smýkal, Petr; Maxted, Nigel; Coyne, Clarice; Domoney, Claire; Burstin, Judith; Bouchenak-Khelladi, Yanis; Chayut, Noam (2024). "The Taxonomic Status of Genera within the Fabeae (Vicieae), with a Special Focus on Pisum". Diversity. 16 (7): 365. Bibcode:2024Diver..16..365E. doi:10.3390/d16070365.</ref> The name "Pea" is also used to describe other edible seeds from the Fabaceae such as the pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), the seeds from several species of Lathyrus, and Sturt's desert pea (Swainsona formosa).

Each pod contains several seeds (peas), which can have green or yellow cotyledons when mature. Botanically, pea pods are fruit,<ref>Rogers, Speed (2007). Man and the Biological World Read Books. pp. 169–170. ISBN 978-1-4067-3304-4. Retrieved on 2009-04-15.</ref> since they contain seeds and develop from the ovary of a "pea" flower.

Peas are annual plants, with a life cycle of one year. They are a cool-season crop grown in many parts of the world; planting can take place from winter to early summer depending on location. The average pea weighs between 100 and 360 milligrams ().<ref name=autogenerated1>"Pea". Purdue.edu. Retrieved 21 August 2017.</ref> The immature peas (and in snow peas and snap peas the tender pod as well) are used as a vegetable, fresh, frozen or canned; varieties of the species typically called field peas are grown to produce dry peas like the split pea shelled from a matured pod. These are the basis of pease porridge and pea soup, staples of medieval cuisine; in Europe, consuming fresh immature green peas was an innovation of early modern cuisine.

Description

Flowers

Ripe pods dehiscing to shed ripe seeds (MHNT)

A pea is a most commonly green, occasionally golden yellow,<ref>"Pea Golden Podded". Australia: The Diggers Club. Archived from the original on 26 January 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2018.</ref> or infrequently purple<ref>"Purple podded peas". Glallotments.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 March 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2017.</ref> pod-shaped vegetable, widely grown as a cool-season crop. The seeds may be planted as soon as the soil temperature reaches 10 °C (50 °F), with the plants growing best at temperatures of 13 to 18 °C (55 to 64 °F). They do not thrive in the summer heat of warmer temperate and lowland tropical climates, but do grow well in cooler, high-elevation, tropical areas. Many cultivars reach maturity about 60 days after planting.<ref>Crop Plant Anatomy. CABI. 21 August 2017. ISBN 9781780640198. Retrieved 21 August 2017 – via Google Books.</ref>

Peas have both low-growing and vining cultivars. The vining cultivars grow thin tendrils from leaves that coil around any available support and can climb to be 1 to 2 metres (3 to 7 ft) high. A traditional approach to supporting climbing peas is to thrust branches pruned from trees or other woody plants upright into the soil, providing a lattice for the peas to climb. Branches used in this fashion are called pea sticks<ref>"How to grow peas". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 21 February 2021.</ref> or sometimes pea brush. Metal fences, twine, or netting supported by a frame are used for the same purpose. In dense plantings, peas give each other some measure of mutual support. Pea plants can self-pollinate.<ref>"Dry Field Pea". Purdue.edu. Retrieved 21 August 2017.</ref>

Genome

The pea karyotype consists of seven chromosomes, five of which are acrocentric and two submetacentric.<ref>Ellis, T. H. N.; Poyser, S. J. (2002). "An integrated and comparative view of pea genetic and cytogenetic maps". New Phytologist. 153 (1): 17–25. Bibcode:2002NewPh.153...17E. doi:10.1046/j.0028-646X.2001.00302.x. ISSN 1469-8137.</ref> Despite its scientific popularity, its relatively large genome size (4.45Gb) made it challenging to sequence compared to other legumes such as Medicago truncatula and soybeans. The International Pea Genome Sequencing Consortium was formed to develop the first pea reference genome, and the draft assembly was officially announced in September 2019. It covers 88% of the genome (3.92Gb) and predicted 44,791 gene-coding sequences. The pea used for the assembly was the inbred French cultivar "Caméor".<ref>Kreplak, Jonathan; Madoui, Mohammed-Amin; Burstin, Judith (2 September 2019). "A reference genome for pea provides insight into legume genome evolution". Nature Genetics. 51 (9): 1411–1422. Bibcode:2019NaGen..51.1411K. doi:10.1038/s41588-019-0480-1. PMID 31477930.</ref> In 2022, a pea pangenome was published.<ref>Yang, Tao; Liu, Rong; Luo, Yingfeng; Hu, Songnian; Wang, Dong; Wang, Chenyu; Pandey, Manish K.; Ge, Song; Xu, Quanle; Li, Nana; Li, Guan; Huang, Yuning; Saxena, Rachit K.; Ji, Yishan; Li, Mengwei (October 2022). "Improved pea reference genome and pan-genome highlight genomic features and evolutionary characteristics". Nature Genetics. 54 (10): 1553–1563. Bibcode:2022NaGen..54.1553Y. doi:10.1038/s41588-022-01172-2. ISSN 1061-4036. PMC 9534762. PMID 36138232.</ref>

Taxonomy

Carl Linnaeus gave the species the scientific name Pisum sativum in 1753 (meaning cultivated pea). Some sources now treat it as Lathyrus oleraceus,<ref name="powo" /><ref>Schaefer, Hanno; Hechenleitner, Paulina; Santos-Guerra, Arnoldo; de Sequeira, Miguel Menezes; Pennington, R Toby; Kenicer, Gregory; Carine, Mark A (2012). "Systematics, biogeography, and character evolution of the legume tribe Fabeae with special focus on the middle-Atlantic island lineages". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 12 (1): 250. Bibcode:2012BMCEE..12..250S. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-12-250. ISSN 1471-2148. PMC 3547781. PMID 23267563.</ref> although the need and justification for this change is disputed.<ref>Ellis, Noel; Smýkal, Petr; Maxted, Nigel; Coyne, Clarice; Domoney, Claire; Burstin, Judith; Bouchenak-Khelladi, Yanis; Chayut, Noam (2024). "The Taxonomic Status of Genera within the Fabeae (Vicieae), with a Special Focus on Pisum". Diversity. 16 (7): 365. Bibcode:2024Diver..16..365E. doi:10.3390/d16070365.</ref>

Etymology

The term pea originates from the Latin word pisum,<ref>Template:L&S</ref> which is the latinisation of the Greek πίσον (pison), neuter variant form of πίσος (pisos) 'pea'.<ref>Template:LSJ.</ref><ref>Harper, Douglas. "pea". Online Etymology Dictionary.</ref> It was adopted into English as the noun pease (plural peasen), as in pease pudding. However, by analogy with other plurals ending in -s, speakers began construing pease as a plural and constructing the singular form by dropping the -s, giving the term pea. This process is known as back-formation.<ref>"pea". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2 August 2018. Template:OEDsub</ref>

Varieties

A basket of pea pods

Garden peas

There are many varieties (cultivars) of garden peas. Some of the most common varieties are listed here. PMR indicates some degree of powdery mildew resistance; afila types, also called semi-leafless, have clusters of tendrils instead of leaves.<ref>"Peas-Western Oregon, Commercial Vegetable Production Guides". Oregon State University. Archived from the original on 3 April 2010.</ref> Unless otherwise noted these are so called dwarf varieties which grow to an average height of about 1&nbsp;m. Giving the vines support is recommended, but not required. Extra dwarf are suitable for container growing, reaching only about 25&nbsp;cm. Tall varieties grow to about 2&nbsp;m with support required.<ref>"Growing Peas the Right Way". Grit. 21 May 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2021.</ref>

• Alaska, 55 days (smooth seeded)
• Tom Thumb / Half Pint, 55 days (heirloom, extra dwarf)
• Thomas Laxton (heirloom) / Laxton's Progress / Progress #9, 60–65 days
• Mr. Big, 60 days, 2000 AAS winner
• Little Marvel, 63 days, 1934 AAS winner
• Early Perfection, 65 days<ref>"Vegetable Cultivar Descriptions for North America". Cuke.hort.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 21 August 2017.</ref>
• Kelvedon Wonder, 65 days, 1997 RHS AGM winner<ref>Kelvedon Wonder is popular in the United Kingdom, but uncommon elsewhere.</ref>
• Sabre, 65 days, PMR
• Homesteader / Lincoln, 67 days (heirloom, known as Greenfeast in Australia and New Zealand)
• Miragreen, 68 days (tall climber)
• Serge, 68 days, PMR, afila
• Wando, 68 days
• Green Arrow, 70 days
• Recruit, 70 days, PMR, afila<ref>"Recruit Peas". Pure Line Seeds. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2015.</ref>
• Tall Telephone / Alderman, 75 days (heirloom, tall climber)

<!-- Sugar pea redirects here-->

Edible-pod peas

Handful of pea pods for a stir fry

Some peas lack the tough membrane inside the pod wall and have tender edible pods,<ref name="Vilmorin-Andrieux & Cie-1883">Vilmorin-Andrieux & Cie (1883). "Pois" . Les_Plantes_potagères  (in français) – via Wikisource.{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)</ref> allowing them to be eaten whole. There are two main types:<ref>Myers, James R.; Baggett, James R.; Lamborn, Calvin (22 June 2010), Janick, Jules (ed.), "Origin, History, and Genetic Improvement of the Snap Pea (Pisum sativum L.)", Plant Breeding Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., pp. 93–138, doi:10.1002/9780470650196.ch3, ISBN 978-0-470-65019-6{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)</ref>

• Snow peas have flat pods with thin pod walls. Pods and seeds are eaten when they are very young.
• Snap peas (also known as sugar snap peas) have rounded pods with thick pod walls. Pods and seeds are eaten before maturity.

The name sugar pea can include both types<ref name="Vilmorin-Andrieux & Cie-1883" /><ref>Arthey, David; Dennis, Colin (15 January 1991). Vegetable Processing. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-471-19859-8.</ref> or be synonymous with either snow peas or snap peas in different dictionaries.<ref>"sugar pea". TheFreeDictionary.com. Retrieved 15 February 2020.</ref> The term mangetout (/ˈmɒ̃ʒˌtuː/; from , 'eat-all pea') is generally used in British English to refer to the snow pea specifically,<ref>"mangetout". Archived from the original on 25 November 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2025.</ref><ref>"Mangetout definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary". www.collinsdictionary.com. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2025.</ref> but may also refer to a snap pea, especially when used in other contexts.

Snow peas and snap peas both belong to Macrocarpon Group,<ref name=JMS>Stephens, James M. (5 November 2018). "Pea, Snap—Pisum sativum L. (Macrocarpon group)". edis.ifas.ufl.edu. Archived from the original on 14 February 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2020.</ref><ref>"Definition of SNOW PEA". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 15 February 2020.</ref> a cultivar group based on the variety Pisum sativum var. macrocarpum <small>Ser.</small> named in 1825.<ref name="Candolle-1825">Candolle, Augustin Pyramus de (1825). Prodromus systematis naturalis regni vegetabilis, sive, Enumeratio contracta ordinum generum specierumque plantarum huc usque cognitarium, juxta methodi naturalis, normas digesta. Vol. 2. Paris: Sumptibus Sociorum Treuttel et Würtz.</ref> It was described as having very compressed non-leathery edible pods in the original publication.

Field peas

Pod 'Blue Schokker'

Field pea plant in bloom

The field pea is a type of pea sometimes called Pisum sativum subsp. arvense (L.) Asch. It is also known as dun (grey-brown) pea, Kapucijner pea, or Austrian winter pea, and is one of the oldest domesticated crops, cultivated for at least 7,000 years. Field peas are now grown in many countries for both human consumption and stockfeed. There are several cultivars and colors including blue, dun (brown), maple and white. This pea should not be confused with the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) which is sometimes called the "field pea" in warmer climates.<ref>"Field pea, (Pisum sativum)". Pulse Australia. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2019.</ref><ref>French, Bob. "Crop management Growing field pea" (PDF). Australia, Dept. of Agriculture and Food. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2019.</ref>

It is a climbing annual legume with weak, viny, and relatively succulent stems. Vines often are 120–150 cm (4–5 ft) long, but when grown alone, field pea's weak stems prevent it from growing more than 45–60 cm (1+1⁄2–2 ft) tall. Leaves have two leaflets and a tendril. Flowers are white, pink, or purple. Pods carry seeds that are large (seed densities of 8,800/kg or 4,000/lb), nearly spherical, and white, gray, green, or brown. The root system is relatively shallow and small, but well nodulated.<ref>Sattell, R. "Field Pea" (PDF). Oregon State U.</ref>

The field pea is a cool-season legume crop that is grown on over 10 million hectares (25 million acres) worldwide. It has been an important grain legume crop for millennia, seeds showing domesticated characteristics dating from at least 7,000 years ago have been found in archaeological sites around what is now Turkey. Field peas or "dry peas" are marketed as a dry, shelled product for either human or livestock food, unlike the garden pea, which is marketed as a fresh or canned vegetable. The major producing countries of field peas are Russia and China, followed by Canada, Europe, Australia and the United States. Europe, Australia, Canada and the U.S. raise over 1.8 million hectares (4.4 million acres) and are major exporters of peas. In 2002, there were approximately 120,000 hectares (300,000 acres) of field peas grown in the U.S.<ref>McKay, Kent. "Field Pea Production" (PDF). North Dakota State University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 October 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019.</ref>

Distribution and habitat

The wild pea is restricted to the Mediterranean Basin and the Near East. The earliest archaeological finds of peas date from about 10'000 B.C. Near East and Central Asia.<ref>Trněný, Oldřich; Brus, Jan; Hradilová, Iveta; Rathore, Abhishek; Das, Roma R.; Kopecký, Pavel; Coyne, Clarice J.; Reeves, Patrick; Richards, Christopher; Smýkal, Petr (6 November 2018). "Molecular Evidence for Two Domestication Events in the Pea Crop". Genes. 9 (11): 535. doi:10.3390/genes9110535. ISSN 2073-4425. PMC 6265838. PMID 30404223. 1.Introduction - Archaeological evidence dates the origin of cultivated pea 10,000 BC in the Near East [12,40] and Central Asia [10,41].</ref> In Egypt, early finds date from c. 4800–4400&nbsp;BC in the Nile Delta area, and from c. 3800–3600&nbsp;BC in Upper Egypt. In northern Europe, specifically Fennoscandia, findings of pea data back to 4000 BC.<ref>Hagenblad, Jenny; Boström, Erik; Nygårds, Lena; Leino, Matti W. (February 2014). "Genetic diversity in local cultivars of garden pea (Pisum sativum L.) conserved 'on farm' and in historical collections". Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution. 61 (2): 413–422. Bibcode:2014GRCEv..61..413H. doi:10.1007/s10722-013-0046-5. ISSN 0925-9864.</ref> The pea was also present in Georgia in the 5th millennium BC. Farther east, the finds are younger. Peas were present in Afghanistan c.&nbsp;2000&nbsp;BC, in Harappan civilization around modern-day Pakistan and western- and northwestern India in 2250–1750&nbsp;BC. In the second half of the 2nd millennium BC, this legume crop appears in the Ganges Basin and southern India.<ref>Zohary, Daniel and Hopf, Maria (2000). Domestication of Plants in the Old World, third edition. Oxford: University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-850356-9. pp. 105–107.</ref>

Cultivation

Woman picking peas in Mount Kenya region

History

In early times, peas were grown mostly for their dry seeds.<ref>Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat, A History of Food, 2nd ed. 2009:38ff.</ref> From plants growing wild in the Mediterranean Basin, constant selection since the Neolithic dawn of agriculture<ref>Peas have been found in the Neolithic site of Abeurador in the south of France (Toussaint-Samat).</ref> improved their yield.

Peas are mentioned in Aristophanes's The Birds. The Greeks and Romans were cultivating this legume from around 500 BC to 400 BC, with vendors in the streets of Athens selling hot pea soup.<ref>Zel and Reuben Allen. "Peas: History, Uses, Folklore, Growing, Nutrition, Purchasing, Preparation, Recipe: Pease Porridge Hot, Pease Porridge Cold". Vegetarians in Paradise: A Los Angeles Vegetarian Web Magazine. Archived from the original on 27 April 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2007.: "vendors in the streets of [classical] Athens were selling hot pea soup."</ref>

In the early 3rd century BC, Theophrastus mentions peas among the legumes that are sown late in the winter because of their tenderness.<ref>Theophrastus, Historia Plantarum, VIII.i.4.</ref>

Dried green peas

In the first and second centuries BC, Cato the Elder and Varro both mention peas in their respective works De agri cultura and De re rustica.<ref>Hooper, William Davis & Ash, Harrison Boyd: Marcus Porcius Cato, On agriculture; Marcus Terentius Varro, On agriculture Volume 283 of Loeb classical library. Loeb classical library. Latin authors. Harvard University Press, 1934. Pages 141, 257, 299, 465.</ref> It is also mentioned frequently in de re coquinaria by Apicius and occurs in many different recipes.

In the Middle Ages, field peas are constantly mentioned, as they were the staple that kept famine at bay, as Charles the Good, count of Flanders, noted explicitly in 1124.<ref>Edict quoted in Michel Pitrat and Claude Four, Histoires de légumes: Des origines à l'orée du XXIe siècle, "Le pois au cours des siècles" :353.</ref>

Green "garden" peas, eaten immature and fresh, were an innovative luxury of Early Modern Europe. In England, the distinction between field peas and garden peas dates from the early 17th century: John Gerard and John Parkinson both mention garden peas. Snow and snap peas, which the French called mange-tout, because they were eaten pods and all, were introduced to France from the market gardens of Holland in the time of Henri IV, through the French ambassador. Green peas were introduced from Genoa to the court of Louis XIV in January 1660, with some staged fanfare. A hamper of them was presented before the King. They were shelled by the Savoyan comte de Soissons, who had married a niece of Cardinal Mazarin. Little dishes of peas were then presented to the King, the Queen, Cardinal Mazarin and Monsieur, the king's brother.<ref>An account is in Toussaint-Samat.</ref> Immediately established and grown for earliness warmed with manure and protected under glass, they were still a luxurious delicacy in 1696, when Mme de Maintenon and Mme de Sevigné each reported that they were "a fashion, a fury".<ref>Quoted by Michel Pitrat and Claude Four.</ref>

The first sweet tasting pea was developed in the 18th century by amateur plant breeder Thomas Edward Knight of Downton, near Salisbury, England.<ref>"Pea Facts". Yes Peas!. Retrieved 13 March 2024.</ref> Modern split peas, with their indigestible skins rubbed off, are a development of the later 19th century. The first pea harvesting machine ("pea viner") able to shell peas through impact was invented around 1890 by John Alexander Chisholm.

Harvesting

Large-scale commercial harvesting of peas without edible pods can be accomplished using specialized pea harvester machines (also called pea viners) that strip them from their vines.<ref>Wigdahl, Nicholas (26 February 2016). "Exotic and unusual harvesters – peas, beans and spinach". Farmers Weekly. MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company. Retrieved 25 June 2025.</ref>

By contrast, the two edible-pod pea varieties snow peas<ref>Watson, Andrew; Yousiph, Amira; Liew, Edwar; Duff, John; Brown, Lee; Snudden, Meryl; Church, Caroline; Martin, Heidi. "Fusarium wilt of snow peas" (PDF). AUSVEG. NSW Department of Industry and Investment. p. 15. Retrieved 25 June 2025.</ref> and snap peas<ref name="snap-pea-robot-poc">Tejada, V. F.; Stoelen, M. F.; Kusnierek, K.; Heiberg, N.; Korsaeth, A. (1 December 2017). "Proof-of-concept robot platform for exploring automated harvesting of sugar snap peas". Precision Agriculture. 18 (6): 952–972. Bibcode:2017PrAgr..18..952T. doi:10.1007/s11119-017-9538-1.</ref> are still usually picked by hand. A prototype for an automated snap pea harvester was being researched in 2017.<ref name="snap-pea-robot-poc" />

Grading

Pea grading involves sorting peas by size, in which the smallest peas are graded as the highest quality for their tenderness.<ref name="Sivasankar">Sivasankar, B. (2002). Food Processing and Preservation. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. pp. 175–177. ISBN 8120320867</ref> Brines may be used, in which peas are floated, from which their density can be determined.<ref name="Sivasankar" />

Green pea production <br>2023, tonnes

China	11,821,097
India	6,592,000
Pakistan	401,866
France	268,200
United States	237,270
Algeria	211,552
United Kingdom	155,616
World	21,484,769
Source: FAOSTAT of the United Nations<ref name="faostat">"Green pea production in 2023, Crops/Regions/World list/Production Quantity/Year (pick lists)". UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT). 2025. Retrieved 7 July 2025.</ref>

Pests and diseases

Main article: List of pea diseases

A variety of diseases affect peas through a number of pathogens, including insects, viruses, bacteria and fungi.<ref>Hagedorn, D. J. (1976). Handbook of pea diseases (PDF). University of Wisconsin - Extension.</ref> In particular, virus disease of peas has worldwide economic importance.<ref>Hagedorn, Donald J. (1974). Virus Diseases of Pea, Pisum sativum. St. Paul, Minnesota: American Phytopathological Society. p. 7.</ref> Additionally, the diseases limiting to global yield potential of pea are members of the pea root rot complex.<ref>Rubiales, Diego; Barilli, Eleonora; Rispail, Nicolas (18 September 2023). "Breeding for Biotic Stress Resistance in Pea". Agriculture. 13 (9): 1825. Bibcode:2023Agric..13.1825R. doi:10.3390/agriculture13091825. hdl:10261/336464. ISSN 2077-0472.</ref>

Additionally, insects such as the pea leaf weevil (Sitona lineatus) can damage peas and other pod fruits. The pea leaf weevil is native to Europe, but has spread to other places such as Alberta, Canada. They are about 3.5–5.5 mm (9⁄64–7⁄32 in) long and are distinguishable by three light-coloured stripes running length-wise down the thorax. The weevil larvae feed on the root nodules of pea plants, which are essential to the plants' supply of nitrogen, and thus diminish leaf and stem growth. Adult weevils feed on the leaves and create a notched, "c-shaped" appearance on the outside of the leaves.<ref>Barkley, Shelley (2 May 2007). "Pea Leaf Weevil". Agriculture and Rural Development website. Government of Alberta. Retrieved 5 April 2009.</ref>

The pea moth can be a serious pest producing caterpillars that resemble small white maggots in the pea pods. The caterpillars eat the developing peas making them unsightly and unsuitable for culinary use.<ref>"Pea moth". Royal horticultural Society. Retrieved 21 February 2021.</ref> Prior to the use of modern insecticides, pea moth caterpillars were a very common sight in pea pods.

Production

In 2023, world production of green peas was 21.5 million tonnes, led by China and India with 86% of the total when combined (table).

Potential adverse effects

Some people experience allergic reactions to peas, with vicilin or convicilin as the most common allergens.<ref name="Sanchez-Monge2004">Sanchez-Monge, R.; G. Lopez-Torrejon; C. Y. Pascual; J. Varela; M. Martin-Esteban; G. Salcedo (2004). "Vicilin and convicilin are potential major allergens from pea". Clinical & Experimental Allergy. 34 (11): 1747–1753. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2222.2004.02085.x. ISSN 0954-7894. PMID 15544600. S2CID 24690605.</ref>

Uses

Nutrition

Raw green peas are 79% water, 14% carbohydrates, 5% protein, and contain negligible fat. In a reference amount of 100 grams (3+1⁄2 ounces), raw green peas supply 339 kilojoules (81 kilocalories) of food energy, and are a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of vitamin C, vitamin K, and thiamine, with several B vitamins and dietary minerals in moderate amounts (10–18% DV) (table).

Culinary

In modern times peas are usually boiled or steamed, which breaks down the cell walls and makes them taste sweeter and the nutrients more bioavailable. Along with broad beans and lentils, these formed an important part of the diet of most people in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe during the Middle Ages.<ref>Bianchini, F.; Corbetta, F. (1976), The Complete Book of Fruits and Vegetables, New York: Crown, p. 40, ISBN 978-0-517-52033-8</ref> By the 17th and 18th centuries, it had become popular to eat peas "green", that is, while they are immature and right after they are picked.<ref>Hedrick, U.P. (1919), "Sturtevant's Notes on Edible Plants", Report of the New York Agricultural Experiment Station for the Year 1919 II, Albany: J.B Lyon Company, State Printers, archived from the original on 18 July 2011, retrieved 26 February 2010</ref> New cultivars of peas were developed by the English during this time, which became known as "garden" or "English" peas. The popularity of green peas spread to North America. Thomas Jefferson grew more than 30 cultivars of peas on his estate.<ref>Kafka, B. (2005), Vegetable Love, New York: Artisan, p. 297, ISBN 978-1-57965-168-8</ref> With the invention of canning, peas were one of the first vegetables to be canned.

Peas in fried rice

Fresh peas are often eaten boiled and flavored with butter or spearmint as a side dish vegetable. Salt and pepper are also commonly added to peas when served. Fresh peas are also used in pot pies, salads and casseroles. Pod peas (snow peas and snap peas) are used in stir-fried dishes, particularly those in American Chinese cuisine.<ref>"Product how-to guides". PCC Natural Markets.</ref> Pea pods do not keep well once picked, and if not used quickly, are best preserved by drying, canning or freezing within a few hours of harvest.<ref>"Peas". Glossary: BBC Good Food. BBC. Retrieved 25 July 2019.</ref>

Dried peas are often made into a soup or simply eaten on their own. In Japan, China, Taiwan and some Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia, peas are roasted and salted, and eaten as snacks. In the Philippines, peas, while still in their pods, are a common ingredient in viands and pansit. In the UK, dried yellow or green split peas are used to make pease pudding (or "pease porridge"), a traditional dish. In North America, a similarly traditional dish is split pea soup.<ref>Stradley, Linda (n.d.). "Classic Split Pea Soup History and Recipe". What's Cooking America. Retrieved 10 November 2023.</ref>

Pea soup is eaten in many other parts of the world, including northern Europe, parts of middle Europe, Russia, Iran, Iraq and India.<ref>"lansbladet.se" (PDF). 29 December 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 December 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2017.</ref>

In India, fresh peas are used in various dishes such as aloo matar (curried potatoes with peas) or mattar paneer (paneer cheese with peas), though they can be substituted with frozen peas as well. Peas are also eaten raw, as they are sweet when fresh off the bush. Green peas known as hasiru batani in Kannada are used to make curry and gasi.<ref>"Batani Gasi Recipe". 19 May 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2020.</ref> Split peas are also used to make dal, particularly in Guyana, and Trinidad, where there is a significant population of Indians.

In Chinese cuisine, the tender new growth [leaves and stem] dou miao (豆苗; dòu miáo) are commonly used in stir-fries. Much like picking the leaves for tea, the farmers pick the tips off of the pea plant.

In Greece, Tunisia, Turkey, Cyprus, and other parts of the Mediterranean, peas are made into a stew with lamb and potatoes.

In Hungary and Serbia, pea soup is often served with dumplings and spiced with hot paprika.<ref name="hung_Gree">László, Vida. "Green Pea Soup, Hungarian - Soups - Recipes". hungarianpaprika.net. Retrieved 11 December 2019.</ref><ref name="hung_Hung">"Hungarian Pea Soup – Borsóleves". Hungarian Tidbits. 15 September 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2019.</ref><ref name="just_Hung">"Hungarian Pea Soup with Nokedli". Just a Taste. 21 January 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2019.</ref>

In the United Kingdom, dried, rehydrated and mashed marrowfat peas, or cooked green split peas, known as mushy peas, are popular, originally in the north of England, but now ubiquitously, and especially as an accompaniment to fish and chips or meat pies, particularly in fish and chip shops. Sodium bicarbonate is sometimes added to soften the peas. In 2005, a poll of 2,000 people revealed the pea to be Britain's seventh favourite culinary vegetable.<ref>Wainwright, Martin (23 May 2005). "Onions come top for British palates". The Guardian. London.</ref>

Processed peas are mature peas which have been dried, soaked and then heat treated (processed) to prevent spoilage—in the same manner as pasteurizing. Cooked peas are sometimes sold dried and coated with wasabi, salt, or other spices.<ref>Enders, Missy (3 October 2016). "Are Wasabi Peas Good For You". The Healthy & Smart Choice Advocates. HESCA. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2018.</ref>

In North America pea milk is produced and sold as an alternative to cow milk for a variety of reasons.<ref>Vrabel, Jeff (10 July 2016). "If You Like Almond Milk, You'll Love...Pea Milk?". Retrieved 13 July 2016.</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" widths="150px" heights="150px"> File:Wasabi peas - Massachusetts.jpg|Wasabi peas File:Fish and chips at Sainsbury's Low Hall, Chingford, London.jpg|Fish and chips with peas File:Pea soup 2.jpg|Pea soup File:Aloo Matar.JPG|Aloo mutter File:Matar Panir mit Chapati - Mutter Paneer with chapati.jpg|Matar paneer with chapati </gallery>

Pea sprouts

Main article: Pea shoots

Pea sprouts

In East Asia, pea sprouts or shoots (豆苗; 완두순)<ref>"莖葉類蔬菜: 豆苗" [Stem and Leaves Vegetables: Pea Sprouts]. 香港食物規格資料庫網站 (in 中文（繁體）). Archived from the original on 4 August 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2021.</ref> were once dedicated cuisine when the plant was less highly available. Today, when the plant can be easily grown, fresh pea shoots are available in supermarkets or may be grown at home.

Manufacturing

Frozen peas

Frozen green peas

In order to freeze and preserve peas, they must first be grown, picked, and shelled. Usually, the more tender the peas are, the more likely that they will be used in the final product. The peas must be put through the process of freezing shortly after being picked so that they do not spoil too soon. Once the peas have been selected, they are placed in ice water and allowed to cool. After, they are sprayed with water to remove any residual dirt or dust that may remain on them. The next step is blanching. The peas are boiled for a few minutes to remove any enzymes that may shorten their shelf life. They are then cooled and removed from the water. The final step is the actual freezing to produce the final product.<ref>"How frozen vegetable is made - production process, making, used, processing, product, industry, machine". madehow.com.</ref> This step may vary considerably; some companies freeze their peas by air blast freezing, where the vegetables are put through a tunnel at high speeds and frozen by cold air. Finally, the peas are packaged and shipped out for retail sale.

Science

In the mid-19th century, Austrian monk Gregor Mendel's observations of pea pods led to the principles of Mendelian genetics, the foundation of modern genetics.<ref>Nasmyth, K (2022). "The magic and meaning of Mendel's miracle". Nat Rev Genet. 23 (7): 447–452. doi:10.1038/s41576-022-00497-2. PMID 35595848.</ref><ref>Moore, Randy (May 2001). "The "Rediscovery" of Mendel's Work" (PDF). Bioscene. 27 (2). General College, University of Minnesota. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2016.</ref> He ended up growing and examining about 28,000 pea plants in the course of his experiments.<ref name=h2g2>Ltd, Not Panicking (December 2005). "h2g2 - The Garden Pea - Edited Entry". H2g2.com. Retrieved 21 August 2017.</ref>

Mendel chose peas for his experiments because he could grow them easily, pure-bred strains were readily available,<ref>Ellis, T.H.N.; Hofer, J.M.I.; Swain, M.T.; Van Dijk, P.J. (2019). "Mendel's pea crosses: varieties, traits and statistics". Hereditas. 156 (33): 33. doi:10.1186/s41065-019-0111-y. PMC 6823958. PMID 31695583.</ref> and the structure of the flowers protect them from cross-pollination, and cross pollination was easy.<ref>"ESP Classical Genetics".</ref> Mendel cross-bred tall and dwarf pea plants, green and yellow peas, purple and white flowers, wrinkled and smooth peas, and a few other traits. He then observed the resulting offspring. In each of these cases, one trait is dominant and all the offspring, or Filial-1 (abbreviated F₁) generation, showed the dominant trait. Then he allowed the F₁ generation to self pollinate and observed their offspring, the Filial-2 (abbreviated F₂) generation. The F₂ plants had the dominant trait in approximately a 3:1 ratio. He studied later generations of self pollinated plants, and performed crosses to determine the nature of the pollen and egg cells.<ref>Gregor Mendel (1865). "Experiments in Plant Hybridization" (PDF).</ref>

Mendel reasoned that each parent had a 'vote' in the appearance of the offspring, and the non-dominant, or recessive, trait appeared only when it was inherited from both parents. He did further experiments that showed each trait is separately inherited. Unwittingly, Mendel had solved a major problem with Charles Darwin's theory of evolution: how new traits were preserved and not blended back into the population, a question Darwin himself did not answer. Mendel's work was published in an obscure Austrian journal and was not rediscovered until about 1900.<ref name=mendel>"Gregor Mendel - Father of Genetics". naturalselection.0catch.com. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2017.</ref>

Nitrogen fixation

Pea flowers

Peas, like many legumes, contain symbiotic bacteria called Rhizobia within root nodules of their root systems. These bacteria have the special ability to fix nitrogen from atmospheric, molecular nitrogen (N
2) into ammonia (NH
3).<ref>"Biological Sciences". Biology.ed.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2017.</ref> The chemical reaction is:

N
2 + 8H+
+ 8e−
−
> 2NH
3 + H
2

Ammonia is then converted to another form, ammonium (NH+
4), usable by (some) plants, by the following reaction:

NH
3 + H+
−
> NH+
4

The root nodules of peas and other legumes are sources of nitrogen that they can use to make amino acids, constituents of proteins. Hence, legumes are good sources of plant protein.<ref>Lawrence, John M.; Grant, D. R. (September 1963). "Nitrogen Mobilization in Pea Seedlings. II. Free Amino Acids". Plant Physiology. 38 (5): 561–566. Bibcode:1963PlanP..38..561L. doi:10.1104/pp.38.5.561. ISSN 0032-0889. PMC 549973. PMID 16655833.</ref>

When a pea plant dies in the field, for example following the harvest, all of its remaining nitrogen, incorporated into amino acids inside the remaining plant parts, is released back into the soil. In the soil, the amino acids are converted to nitrate (NO−
3), that is available to other plants, thereby serving as fertilizer for future crops.<ref>Postgate, J (1998). Nitrogen Fixation, 3rd Edition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK</ref><ref>Smil, V (2000). Cycles of Life. Scientific American Library.</ref>

See also

• Black-eyed pea
• Black pea
• Chickpea
• Cowpea
• Dixie lee pea
• Snap pea
• Snow pea
• Sweet pea
• Pea moth

Bibliography

• European Association for Grain Legume Research (AEP). Pea. https://web.archive.org/web/20061017214408/http://www.grainlegumes.com/default.asp?id_biblio=52 .
• Hernández Bermejo, J. E. & León, J., (1992). Neglected crops: 1492 from a different perspective, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Contents Archived 6 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine
• Muehlbauer, F. J. and Tullu, A., (1997). Pisum sativum L. Purdue University. Pea
• Oelke, E. A., Oplinger E. S., et al. (1991). Dry Field Pea. University of Wisconsin.Dry Field Pea
• Bitting, A.W. (1909). The Canning of Peas: Based on Factory Inspection and Experimental Data. Bulletin (United States. Bureau of Chemistry). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved 6 May 2024.

External links

• Sorting Pisum names
• USDA plant profile
• Foodcomp