Pea 59407 224727998 2008-07-10T04:03:12Z 64.126.143.95 /* Description */ {{For|other uses and abbreviations|PEA}} {{Taxobox | name = Pea | image = NCI peas in pod.jpg | image_width = 240px | image_caption = Peas are contained within a pod | regnum = [[Plant]]ae | divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]] | classis = [[Dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]] | ordo = [[Fabales]] | familia = [[Fabaceae]] | subfamilia = [[Faboideae]] | tribus = [[Vicieae]] | genus = ''[[Pisum]]'' | species = '''''P. sativum''''' | binomial = ''Pisum sativum'' | binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]] }} A '''pea''', although treated as a [[vegetable]] in cooking, is botanically a [[fruit]]; the term is most commonly used to describe the small spherical [[seeds]] or the pods of the [[legume]] '''''Pisum sativum'''''.<ref>Oxford English Dictionary - Pea</ref> The name is also used to describe other edible seeds from the [[Fabaceae]] like the [[pigeon pea]] (''Cajanus cajan''), the [[cowpea]] (''Vigna unguiculata''), and the seeds from several species of ''[[Lathyrus]]''. ''P. sativum'' is an [[annual plant]], with a [[biological life cycle|lifecycle]] of one year. It is a cool season crop grown in many parts of the world; planting can take place from winter through to early summer depending on location. The average pea weighs between 0.1 and 0.36 grams.<ref>[http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/cropfactsheets/pea.html Pea<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The species is used as a fresh vegetable, frozen or canned, but is also grown to produce dry peas like the [[split pea]]. These varieties are typically called '''field peas'''. ''P. sativum'' has been cultivated for thousands of years. The sites of cultivation have been described in southern [[Syria]] and southeastern [[Turkey]], and some argue that the cultivation of peas with wheat and barley seems to be associated with the spread of Neolithic agriculture into Europe.<ref>Zohary, Daniel and Hopf, Maria (2000). ''Domestication of Plants in the Old World'', third edition. Oxford: University Press. ISBN 0-19-850356-3 p. 106</ref> ==Description== {{nutritionalvalue | name=Raw Green Pea | kJ=339| protein=5.4 g | fat=0.4 g | carbs=14.5 g | fiber=5.1 g | | sugars=5.7 g | iron_mg=1.5 | calcium_mg=25.0 | magnesium_mg=33.0 | phosphorus_mg=108 | potassium_mg=244| zinc_mg=1.2 | vitA_ug = 38 | betacarotene_ug=449 | vitC_mg=40.0 | pantothenic_mg=0.1 | vitB6_mg=0.2 | folate_ug=65| thiamin_mg=0.3 | riboflavin_mg=0.1 | niacin_mg=2.1 | right=1 | source_usda=1 }} [[Image:Doperwt rijserwt peulen Pisum sativum.jpg|right|thumb|Pea plant]] The pea is a green, pod-shaped fruit, widely grown as a cool-season vegetable crop. The seeds may be planted as soon as the soil temperature reaches 10°C, with the plants growing best at temperatures of 55" to 65"F (13-18°C). They do not thrive in the summer heat of warmer temperate and lowland tropical climates but do grow well in cooler high altitude tropical areas. Many cultivars reach maturity about 60 days after planting. Generally, peas are to be grown outdoors during the winter, not in greenhouses. Peas grow best in slightly acidic, well-drained soils. Peas have both low-growing and [[vine|vining]] cultivars. The vining cultivars grow thin [[tendril]]s from leaves that coil around any available support and can climb to be 1-2 m high. A traditional approach to supporting climbing peas is to thrust branches pruned from [[tree]]s or other woody plants upright into the soil, providing a lattice for the peas to climb. Branches used in this fashion are called '''''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 do not need pollination from other plants as they have special properties that allow them to pollinate themselves and make more genetic copies. This is the reason Gregor Mendel experimented on these fascinating plants. ==Varieties== Many varieties of ''P. sativum'' have been bred. Widely cultivated variations include: *''Pisum sativum'' var. ''macrocarpon'' is commonly known as the [[snow pea]] *''Pisum sativum'' var. ''macrocarpon'' ser. cv. is known as the [[snap pea|sugar or snap pea]] or '''mange-tout''' Both of these are eaten whole before the pod reaches maturity. The snow pea (often erroneously called "mange tout") pod is eaten flat. In sugar snap peas, the pod becomes cylindrical but is eaten before the seeds inside develop while the pod is still crisp, hence the 'snap' term used. ==Diseases== {{Main|List of pea diseases}} ==Culinary use== In early times peas were grown mostly for their dry seeds. In modern times however peas are usually boiled or [[steamed]] which breaks down the cell walls and makes the taste sweeter and the nutrients more bio-available. Along with [[broad beans]] and [[lentils]], these formed an important part of the diet of most people in Europe during the [[Middle Ages]] (Bianchini 1975 p 40). By the 1600s and 1700s it had became popular to eat peas "green", that is, while they are immature and right after they are picked. This was especially true in [[France]] and [[England]], where the eating of green peas was said to be "both a fashion and a madness" (OSU 2006). New cultivars of peas were developed by the English during this time which became known as '''garden peas''' and '''English peas'''. The popularity of green peas spread to [[North America]]. [[Thomas Jefferson]] grew more than 30 cultivars of peas on his estate (Kafka 2005 p 297). With the invention of canning and freezing of foods, green peas became available year-round, and not just in the spring as before. [[Image:Frozen peas.JPG|right|thumb|Frozen green peas]] Fresh peas are often eaten boiled and flavored with [[butter]] and/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 (particularly sweet cultivars called '''mange tout''' and ''sugar peas'', or the flatter "snow peas," called ''hé lán dòu'', [[wikt:荷|荷]][[wikt:兰|兰]][[wikt:豆|豆]] in Chinese) are used in stir-fried dishes, particularly those in [[American Chinese cuisine]].[http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/health/Food_Guide/Snow_Peas.htm] 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. In [[India]], fresh peas are used in various dishes such as ''aloo matar'' (curried potatoes with peas) or ''matar 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. [[Image:Split pea.jpg|right|thumb|left|Dry, yellow [[split pea]]s]] '''Dried peas''' are often made into a [[soup]] or simply eaten on their own. In Japan, China, [[Taiwan]] and some South-east Asian countries, including [[Thailand]] and [[Malaysia]], the peas are roasted and salted, and eaten as [[snack]]s. In the UK, dried yellow split peas are used to make [[pease pudding]] (or "pease porridge"), a traditional dish. In North America a similarly traditional dish is [[pea soup|split pea soup]]. '''Ärtsoppa''' is a traditional [[Cuisine of Sweden|Scandinavian food]] which predates the [[Viking]] era. This food was made from a fast-growing pea that would mature in a short growing season. ''Ärtsoppa'' was especially popular among the many poor who traditionally only had one pot and everything was cooked together for a dinner using a tripod to hold the pot over the fire. When pork was available it was known as ''Ärtsoppa och fläsk'' and this tradition has continued to the present day. After the [[Christianization of Scandinavia|Christian conversion]] this soup was served on Thursday evening because Friday was a [[Fast Day|fasting day]]. In [[Chinese cuisine]], '''pea sprouts''' (豆苗; ''dòu miáo'') are commonly used in stir-fries and its price is relatively high due to its agreeable taste. Pea leaves are often considered a delicacy as well. In [[Greece]], [[Turkey]], [[Cyprus]], and other parts of the Mediterranean, peas are made into a stew with meat<!--Lamb or beef?--> and potatoes. In Greek this stew is called ''[[arakas]]'', whilst in Cyprus and Turkey it is called ''[[mpizeli]]'' or ''[[mpizelia]]''. In the [[United Kingdom]], dried, rehydrated and mashed marrowfat peas, known by the public 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 pie]]s, 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 7th favorite culinary vegetable. '''Processed peas''' are mature peas which have been dried, soaked and then heat treated (processed) to prevent spoilage — in the same manner as pasteurising. [[Image:Canada-wasabi-green-peas.jpg|right|thumb|Canadian wasabi peas.]] Cooked peas are sometimes sold dried and coated with [[wasabi]] as a spicy snack. Some forms of [[etiquette]] require that peas be only eaten with a [[fork]] and not pushed onto the fork with a [[knife]] [http://www3.uakron.edu/ascareer/businessetiquette.html][http://www.askmen.com/money/successful/success7.html]. ==Peas in science== [[Image:Snow pea flowers.jpg|right|thumb|Pea flowers]] In the mid-1800s, [[Gregor Mendel]]'s observations of pea pods led to the principles of [[Mendelian genetics]], the foundation of modern [[genetics]]. == Etymology == According to [[etymology|etymologists]], the term was taken from the [[Latin]] ''pisum'' and adopted into [[English language|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]]. The name ''marrowfat pea'' for mature dried peas is recorded by the [[Oxford English Dictionary|OED]] as early as [[1733]]. The fact that an export cultivar popular in Japan is called ''Maro'' has led some people to assume mistakenly that the English name ''marrowfat'' is derived from [[Japanese language|Japanese]]. ==See also== * [[Black pea]] * [[Split pea]] * [[Sugar snap pea]] * [[Yellow pea]] ==References== {{reflist}} *Bianchini, F. & Corbetta, F., 1976, ''The Complete Book of Fruits and Vegetables''. New York : Crown Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0-517-52033-8. *European Association for Grain Legume Research (AEP). ''Pea''. [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)[http://www.fao.org/docrep/t0646e/T0646E00.HTM] *Kafka, B., 2005, ''Vegetable Love'', New York : Artisan, ISBN 978-1-57965-168-8 *Muehlbauer, F. J. and Tullu, A., (1997). ''Pisum sativum L.'' Purdue University[http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/cropfactsheets/pea.html]. *Oelke, E. A., Oplinger E. S., et al. (1991). ''Dry Field Pea''. University of Wisconsin[http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/drypea.html]. *Oregon State University (OSU). (2006). ''Green Peas, Garden Peas, Peas''. [http://food.oregonstate.edu/v/peas.html]. ==External links== {{commons|Pisum sativum}} {{Cookbook|Pea}} * [http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Pisum.html Sorting Pisum names] * [http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PISA6 USDA plant profile] * [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/drypea.html Alternative Field Crops Manual: Dry Field Pea] <!--plant--> <!--food--> [[Category:Edible legumes| ]] [[Category:Faboideae]] [[Category:Vegetable-like fruits]] [[ar:بازلاء]] [[gn:Kumanda]] [[br:Piz bihan]] [[ca:Pèsol]] [[cv:Пăрçа]] [[cs:Hrách setý]] [[da:Almindelig Ært]] [[pdc:Aerbs]] [[de:Erbse]] [[es:Pisum sativum]] [[eo:Ĝardena pizo]] [[fr:Pois]] [[hsb:Zahrodny hroch]] [[id:Ercis]] [[it:Pisum sativum]] [[he:אפונה]] [[lt:Sėjamasis žirnis]] [[hu:Zöldborsó]] [[nl:Erwt]] [[nn:Erter]] [[no:Erter]] [[nds-nl:Atepoele]] [[ja:エンドウ]] [[pl:Groch]] [[pt:Ervilha]] [[qu:Allwirha]] [[ru:Горох]] [[sk:Hrach siaty]] [[sl:Grah]] [[sr:Грашак]] [[fi:Herne]] [[sv:Ärt]] [[th:ถั่วลันเตา]] [[to:Pī (ʻakau)]] [[tr:Bezelye]] [[vls:Errewete]] [[zh:豌豆]]