Seasons/Availability
Available year round, the peak season for snow peas is November to March.
Current Facts
At one time, snow peas were only seen in Chinese restaurants, but now they are available everywhere. The snow pea, often called the China mangetout, is enjoying increasing demand by supermarkets, ethnic green grocers and restaurants.
Description/Taste
Eaten when young and tender, pale to medium green snow peas have edible flat crisp, firm pods that are usually one and a half to three inches long. Wide and flat, tiny undeveloped sweet peas are inside. When a slight bulge of the tiny seeds is barely visible, snow peas are at their prime eating stage. Offering tasty features, elegant snow peas are delicately sweet and meaty and crisp and tender, a flavor and texture all of their very own. Sometimes there are strings, but they do not need to be removed.
Nutritional Value
An excellent source of protein, snow peas offer carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, folic acid, potassium and calcium. Snow peas are higher in calcium and vitamin A than other type peas, plus are lower in calories. A three and a half ounce serving contains about 43 calories.
Applications
Snow peas were made for stir-fries and Oriental soups. Serve as a vegetable by themselves enhanced with garlic, ginger or hot peppers. Pair with shrimp, pork or chicken. Stir-fry snow peas with red bell pepper strips, sliced mushrooms, julienne carrots and water chestnuts. For a delicious attractive appetizer, carefully open the pods and add a cream cheese spread. Offer snow peas with carrot sticks and an herbed yogurt or yogurt-cheese dip. To store, refrigerate snow peas in a perforated plastic bag. Use within a day or two for optimum quality.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Because the snow pea is entirely edible, this explains its French name, mange-tout, meaning "eat it all." Peas actually didn't become popular in Europe until the 1600s and were considered very much an extravagant luxury. So much in fact, that Madame de Maintenon criticized the lusting for fresh peas in a famous letter at the court of Louis XIV in 1696. Today, snow peas are a favorite in Oriental cuisine.
Geography/History
Evidence found at a Stone Age lake village in Switzerland reveals peas was among the earliest of all cultivated plants. It is possible the wild from of current garden peas are native to western Asia or Eastern Europe. California and Washington State are major producers of snow peas.
Featured Restaurants
Restaurants currently purchasing this product as an ingredient for their menu.
Featured Recipes
Recipes that include Snow Peas. One
is easiest, three is harder.
