snow pea

{{Infobox cultivar

| image = Snow Pea on Plant.JPG

| group = Macrocarpon Group

| origin =

| subdivision = Many; see text.

}}

The snow pea is an edible-pod pea with flat pods and thin pod walls, in contrast to snap pea pods, which are round with thick walls.{{Citation|last1=Myers|first1=James R.|title=Origin, History, and Genetic Improvement of the Snap Pea ( Pisum sativum L.)|date=2010-06-22|work=Plant Breeding Reviews|pages=93–138|editor-last=Janick|editor-first=Jules|publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Inc.|language=en|doi=10.1002/9780470650196.ch3|isbn=978-0-470-65019-6|last2=Baggett|first2=James R.|last3=Lamborn|first3=Calvin}} It is eaten whole, with both the seeds and the pod, while still unripened.

Names

The common name snow pea seems to be a misnomer as the planting season of this pea is no earlier than that of other peas. Another common name, Chinese pea, is probably related to its prominence in Chinese dishes served in the West.{{Cite book|last1=Kiple|first1=Kenneth F.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vr2qnK_QOuAC&pg=PA1860|title=The Cambridge World History of Food|last2=Ornelas|first2=Kriemhild Coneè|date=2000|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-40215-6|language=en}} It is called mangetout in the United Kingdom and Ireland (from the French for "eat-all" and pronounced monge-too; {{IPA|/mɒnʒtuː/}}).{{Cn|date=February 2021}}

Snow peas and snap peas both belong to Macrocarpon Group,{{Cite web|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snow+pea|title=Definition of SNOW PEA|website=www.merriam-webster.com|language=en|access-date=2020-02-11}}{{Cite web|url=https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mv110|title=Pea, Snow—Pisum sativum L. (Macrocarpon Group)|last=Stephens|first=James M.|date=2018-11-05|website=edis.ifas.ufl.edu|language=en|access-date=2020-02-11|archive-date=2019-11-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191102053410/http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mv110|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mv109|title=Pea, Snap—Pisum sativum L. (Macrocarpon Group)|last=Stephens|first=James M.|date=2018-11-05|website=edis.ifas.ufl.edu|language=en|access-date=2020-02-11|archive-date=2020-02-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200214125729/http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mv109|url-status=dead}} a cultivar group based on the variety Pisum sativum var. macrocarpum Ser. named in 1825.{{Cite book|last=Candolle|first=Augustin Pyramus de|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/7151|title=Prodromus systematis naturalis regni vegetabilis, sive, Enumeratio contracta ordinum generum specierumque plantarum huc usque cognitarium, juxta methodi naturalis, normas digesta|publisher=Sumptibus Sociorum Treuttel et Würtz|year=1825|volume=2|location=Paris, France|pages=368}} It was described as having very compressed non-leathery edible pods in the original publication.

The scientific name Pisum sativum var. saccharatum Ser. is often misused for snow peas. The variety under this name was described as having sub-leathery and compressed-testes pods and the French name petit pois. The description is inconsistent with the appearance of snow peas, and therefore botanists have replaced this name with Pisum sativum var. macrocarpum.{{GRIN}} Austrian scientist and monk Gregor Mendel used peas which he called Pisum saccharatum in his famous experiments demonstrating the heritable nature of specific traits, and this Latin name might not refer to the same varieties identified with modern snow peas.{{Cite journal|last1=Ellis|first1=T. H. N.|last2=Hofer|first2=J. M. I.|last3=Timmerman-Vaughan|first3=G. M.|last4=Coyne|first4=C. J.|last5=Hellens|first5=R. P.|year=2011|title=Mendel, 150 years on|journal=Trends in Plant Science|volume=16|issue=11|pages=590–596|doi=10.1016/j.tplants.2011.06.006|pmid=21775188|bibcode=2011TPS....16..590E }}

Composition

= Nutrition =

{{Nutritional value

| name = Snowpeas

| image =File:Snow peas.jpg

| caption =Snow peas (Pisum sativum)

| serving_size =100g

| kJ = 176

| carbs = 7.55

| starch =

| sugars =4.00

| lactose =

| fiber = 2.6

| fat = 0.3

| satfat =

| transfat =

| monofat =

| polyfat =

| omega3fat =

| omega6fat =

| protein = 2.8

| water = 88.89

| alcohol =

| caffeine =

| vitA_ug =

| vitA_iu = 1087

| betacarotene_ug = 630

| lutein_ug =740

| thiamin_mg = 0.150

| riboflavin_mg = 0.08

| niacin_mg = 0.6

| pantothenic_mg = 0.75

| vitB6_mg = 0.16

| folate_ug = 42

| vitB12_ug =0

| choline_mg =17.4

| vitC_mg = 60

| vitD_ug = 0

| vitD_iu =

| vitE_mg = 0.39

| vitK_ug = 25

| calcium_mg = 43

| iron_mg = 2.09

| magnesium_mg = 24

| manganese_mg = 0.244

| phosphorus_mg =53

| potassium_mg = 200

| sodium_mg =4

| zinc_mg = 0.27

| opt1n =

| opt1v =

| opt2n =

| opt2v =

| opt3n =

| opt3v =

| opt4n =

| opt4v =

| note =

| source =

| source_usda = 1

| noRDA =

| float =

}}

Uses

= Culinary =

File:2DU Kenya 83 (5366710925).jpg

Snow peas, along with snap peas and unlike field and garden peas, are notable for having edible pods that lack inedible fiber (in the form of "parchment", a fibrous layer found in the inner pod rich in lignin{{cite journal | last = McGee | first = RJ |author2=Baggett JR | title = Inheritance of Stringless Pod in Pisum sativum L. | year = 1992 | journal = J. Am. Soc. Hort. Sci. | volume = 117 | issue = 4 | pages = 628–632 | url = http://journal.ashspublications.org/content/117/4/628.full.pdf | doi = 10.21273/JASHS.117.4.628 | doi-access = free }}) in the pod walls. Snow peas have the thinner walls of the two edible pod variants. Two recessive genes known as p and v are responsible for this trait.{{cite book|author1=Singh RJ |author2=Jauhar PP| title = Genetic Resources, Chromosome Engineering, and Crop Improvement |pages = [https://books.google.com/books?id=rzL-i0fVMuoC&pg=PA74 74] | year = 2005 |publisher = CRC Press | isbn = 978-0-8493-1430-8}} p is responsible for reducing the sclerenchymatous membrane on the inner pod wall, while v reduces pod wall thickness (n is a gene that thickens pod walls in snap peas).{{cite journal | last = De Ron | first = AM | title = Identifying superior snow pea breeding lines | volume = 40 | issue = 5 | year = 2005 | pages = 1216–1220 | journal = HortScience | url = http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/content/40/5/1216.full.pdf |display-authors=etal| doi = 10.21273/HORTSCI.40.5.1216 | doi-access = free }}

Pea shoots ({{lang-zh|p=dòu miáo|s=豆苗}}) are the stems and leaves of the immature plant, used as a vegetable in Chinese cooking.{{cite web | url=https://omnivorescookbook.com/stir-fried-pea-shoots/ | title=Stir-Fried Pea Shoots with Garlic (蒜蓉炒豆苗) | date=10 April 2019 }} They are commonly stir-fried with garlic and sometimes combined with crab or other shellfish.{{cite web |url=http://chinesefood.about.com/od/vegetablesrecipes/ig/Chinese-Vegetables-Pictures/Snow-Pea-Shoots.htm |title=Snow Pea Shoots Photo - Chinese Vegetable Photos |publisher=Chinesefood.about.com |date=2011-10-17 |accessdate=2011-12-18 |archive-date=2014-12-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228150920/http://chinesefood.about.com/od/vegetablesrecipes/ig/Chinese-Vegetables-Pictures/Snow-Pea-Shoots.htm |url-status=dead }}

= Nitrogen fixers =

As with most legumes, snow peas host beneficial bacteria, rhizobia, in their root nodules, which fix nitrogen in the soil—this is called a mutualistic relationship—and are therefore a useful companion plant, especially useful to grow intercropped with green, leafy vegetables that benefit from high nitrogen content in their soil.{{Cite web |date=June 7, 2021 |title=Peas Companion Planting Guide: 10 Plants to Pair With Peas |url=https://www.masterclass.com/articles/peas-companion-planting-guide |access-date=October 30, 2023 |website=MasterClass}}

Cultivation

Snow peas can be grown in open fields during cool seasons and can thus be cultivated during winter and spring seasons.

=== Storage ===

Storage of the pea with films of polymethylpentene at a temperature of {{Convert|5|C}} and controlled atmosphere with a concentration of oxygen and carbon dioxide of 5 kPa augments the shelf life, internal and external characteristics of the plant.{{cite journal | last = Pariasca | first = JAT | year = 2001 | title = Effect of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and controlled atmosphere (CA) storage on the quality of snow pea pods (Pisum sativum L. var. saccharatum) | journal = Postharvest Biology and Technology | volume = 21 | issue = 2 | pages = 213–223 | doi=10.1016/S0925-5214(00)00149-6|display-authors=etal}}