Pea

Racing the clock

Fresh peas contain an enzyme (amylase) that immediately begins converting their sugars to starch after picking. The famous sweet flavour of fresh garden peas degrades noticeably within hours of harvest — a fact that explains why frozen peas (flash-frozen within hours of picking) are often sweeter and better-tasting than “fresh” peas that have spent days in transit.

Mendel’s peas

Gregor Mendel’s revolutionary genetics experiments (1856–1863) used garden peas (Pisum sativum) to study inheritance. Mendel chose peas because they have clearly distinguishable traits (smooth vs. wrinkled seeds, green vs. yellow pods, tall vs. short plants), breed true in isolation, and can be easily cross-pollinated. His observations of dominant and recessive traits in seven pea characteristics founded the science of genetics.

Mushy peas

A distinctly British preparation: dried marrowfat peas are soaked overnight in water with bicarbonate of soda (which softens the skin), then slow-boiled until they collapse into a thick, intensely flavoured purée. Mushy peas are the traditional accompaniment to fish and chips in Yorkshire and Lancashire, served from chip shops in polystyrene containers.

Pease porridge

“Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold, pease porridge in the pot, nine days old” — the nursery rhyme references the medieval English practice of making a large pot of dried pea porridge and eating it over many days, adding to it as it was consumed.