Peas | OtterKnow Kids Encyclopedia

What Are Peas?

Peas are small, round, green seeds that grow inside pods on climbing vines, and their scientific name is Pisum sativum. They are one of the oldest vegetables in the world, with evidence that people have been growing and eating peas for about 10,000 years. Peas are legumes, which means they belong to the same family as beans, lentils, and peanuts. They have a naturally sweet flavor that comes from their sugar content, but this sweetness fades quickly after picking because the sugars start turning into starch right away.

Peas and the Birth of Genetics

Peas played one of the most important roles in the history of science. In the 1860s, an Austrian monk named Gregor Mendel grew thousands of pea plants in his monastery garden and carefully studied how traits like seed shape, flower color, and plant height were passed from parent plants to their offspring. By crossing smooth peas with wrinkled peas and tall plants with short plants, Mendel discovered the basic laws of heredity that we now call genetics. His work with peas helped scientists understand how all living things, including humans, inherit traits from their parents.

Types of Peas

There are three main types of peas that you might find at the store or in a garden. Shelling peas, also called garden peas or English peas, have tough pods that you open to get the sweet peas inside. Sugar snap peas have thick, crunchy pods that are completely edible, so you eat the whole thing, pod and all. Snow peas have flat, thin pods with tiny peas inside and are commonly used in stir-fry dishes. Each type has a slightly different taste and texture, but all three are delicious eaten raw or cooked.

How They Grow

Pea plants are climbers that use curly tendrils to grab onto fences, trellises, or other plants as they grow upward toward the sunlight. They prefer cool weather and are often one of the very first crops planted in the spring garden. Like other legumes, pea plants have a special ability called nitrogen fixation, which means bacteria on their roots can pull nitrogen from the air and turn it into fertilizer in the soil. Because the sugar in peas converts to starch so quickly after harvest, frozen peas are often actually fresher tasting than “fresh” peas that have spent several days traveling to the store.

Fun Facts About Peas

The world record for the farthest distance a pea has been shot from a straw (pea shooting) is over 47 feet. Thomas Jefferson grew more than 30 varieties of peas in his garden at Monticello and considered them one of his favorite vegetables. In England, “mushy peas” are a traditional side dish made by cooking dried peas until they turn into a thick, green mush, often served with fish and chips. Canada is the world’s largest exporter of dried peas, shipping millions of tons to countries around the globe every year.