Cultivated peas

Cultivated peas : Cultivated pea (family of Fabaceae - Botanical name: Pisum sativum L.) is a species of plant legume, annual, some vegetable varieties of which are grown for their seeds, eaten as a vegetable or used as animal feed.
The fruit (pod, Scotland) of these plants; contains round, floury seeds enclosed in this pod. The term "pea" also refers to the seed itself, which is rich in energy (starch) and protein (16 to 40%). Fresh peas are more commonly referred to as "peas".
These peas can be eaten fresh or canned. They are classified according to their size into fine, very fine or extra fine.
Very young and very fresh, peas can be eaten raw but cooking makes them sweeter.
Dried peas often come in the form of " split peas ».
The pea has been cultivated since Neolithic times and accompanied cereals in the appearance of agriculture in the Near East. It was in Antiquity and in the Middle Ages a staple food in Europe and in the Mediterranean basin; the association of peas, or beans, and wheat providing a balanced diet, particularly in protein (like the bean-corn association among the Amerindians). Nowadays, its cultivation is practiced in the five continents, particularly in the temperate climate regions of Eurasia and North America.
Dry pea is a traditionally important food in some countries, notably the Indian subcontinent and Ethiopia, but it is relatively neglected as a starch and source of protein in most Western countries, where it is now mainly grown for food. animal feed or for export. Since the XNUMXth century, the pea has become a highly prized fresh vegetable, whose year-round consumption is favored by preservation and deep-freezing techniques.

Consumption and packaging of field peas : Cultivated or garden peas are eaten either dry or fresh.
Dry, it is called "split peas". The seed is stripped of its seed coat and the two cotyledons are separated. Split peas are often prepared in puree. It is green or yellow.
Fresh, we eat either the seeds alone: ​​this is the “petit pois”, or green pea, launched in France at the time of Louis XIV; or the whole pod: it is the "mange-tout", or "gourmet pea", which has a flat pod and is consumed before the complete formation of the grains (otherwise, parchment forms on the pod). The Americans have revived the "croque-tout" (sugar snap pea), a kind of mange-tout that is eaten once the grains have formed and whose pod is round and fleshy. It is sweeter and crunchier than mange-tout.
The tender leaves and young shoots are also sometimes eaten, especially in Asia.
Peas are the raw material for a major canning industry (canning and freezing).
Roasted dried pea seeds were once an ersatz coffee.
Peas come in three forms: fresh, canned or frozen. In France, consumption is estimated at 2,2 kg per person per year, including only 250 g of fresh shelled peas (2001 figures).
Fresh peas, marketed in pods, are a seasonal product whose share is relatively marginal in consumption. In the European Union, shelling peas and snow peas must comply with marketing standards set by a 1999 Community regulation, which notably provides for their classification into two categories.
Canned (canned) peas are available all year round and form the bulk of the market. They are often sold mixed with young carrots.
Frozen peas have developed since the end of the Second World War. Their share, which was approximately 30% in 2001 in France, is tending to increase.
For canned and frozen peas, the Codex standards provide for the possibility of grading the peas into three or five classes, from extra fine to medium. The finest categories are highly sought after for canned foods, less so for frozen foods. Among the latter, there is a fairly large caliber category (greater than 9 mm) sold under the name of garden peas or "large English peas".

Articles related to field peas  : Pea, dry peas, Pigeon peas,  Senator Pea, Slim peas, Snow peas, phone dots.

See also under Argot de Bouche: Polka dots  ; Pea ; Rolling.

Culinary Uses and Uses of Cultivated Pea : The cultivated pea provides several types of food for both humans and animals:
– dried peas, ie the seeds harvested when ripe, are a pulse, and are also given to domestic animals either as such (poultry, birds) or in the form of meal (pigs, cattle); these seeds are also a raw material for the processing industry (starch, protein extracts),
– fresh peas, either in the form of immature seeds, or also immature whole pods, are a fresh vegetable (“peas”, “snow peas”, “crunchy peas” or “sweet peas”),
– young leafy shoots are also eaten as a vegetable, particularly in Asia, as well as sprouted seeds,
Fresh peas serve as a side vegetable and are traditionally prepared "à l'anglaise" or "à la française". In English, the peas are cooked in boiling salted water. At the end of cooking, drain them and add butter (the English also add mint).
At the French, they are stewed in butter, with spring onions and lettuce, moistened with a little water. When serving, they are bound with butter or cream. They are also used in the preparation of salads, vegetable planters, salads and purees.
Green peas can be cooked in butter, served with carrots or asparagus tips. They fit into a mixed salad and are part of the preparations in the garden box.
In classic French cuisine, the expression " at Clamart » means accompanied by a garnish of peas (example: veal cutlet à la Clamart or artichoke hearts à la Clamart). Clamart is the name of an old variety of round peas which was grown in the eponymous commune of Hauts-de-Seine. " At the Fontanges » designates a soup prepared with a puree of fresh peas, thinned with the broth and added with sorrel and chervil. This recipe was so named in honor of Marie-Angélique de Scorailles de Roussille, Duchess of Fontanges, who was the mistress of Louis XIV and died at the age of twenty in 1681. “A la Saint-Germain”, with an obscure etymology, applies to a recipe for pea puree as well as to various garnishes containing peas.
Appreciated for their sweet flavor when freshly picked, peas can be eaten raw.
The pods of mange-tout, called hey lán dòu in Chinese, are used in various recipes, for example sautéed in a pan or wok, especially in Chinese cuisine in the United States.
Pea pods do not store easily once picked, and must, if not used quickly, be preserved by dehydrating, canning or freezing a few hours after harvest.
In India, fresh peas are used in various recipes such as alū matar (fricasée of potatoes and peas) or matar panir (peas with cheese), prepared with panir curd cheese, but they can also be replaced by frozen peas.
In Malta, we prepare pastizzis, a kind of puff pastry delicacies filled with mashed peas or ricotta.
In Chinese cuisine, pea sprouts (豆苗; dòu miáo) are commonly sautéed in a pan and are relatively expensive due to their pleasant flavor. The young leafy shoots of peas are also popular there as a vegetable.
Shelled pea pods, usually considered inedible, can be cooked, with a view to “cooking leftovers”.
The Troisgros brothers came up with a recipe for “pea pod soup”.
Some forms of etiquette require that we eat the peas with only the fork, without using the knife to push them on the fork.