The pea (Pisum sativum) is a legume that has been cultivated for thousands of years, with archaeological evidence of pea farming dating back to the Neolithic period in the Near East. It’s one of humanity’s oldest food crops and remains one of the most widely grown.
Several distinct types are eaten: garden peas (shelled from their pods and eaten as green peas), snow peas (eaten whole with flat, tender pods), sugar snap peas (eaten whole with plump, crunchy pods), and dried peas (mature seeds, split or whole, used in soups and dhal). Pea shoots and sprouts are also eaten as a vegetable.
In Australia, peas are a staple vegetable — frozen peas are a household standard, and fresh peas appear seasonally. Australia is also a significant producer and exporter of dried field peas. Beyond direct consumption, pea protein has become one of the most important plant protein sources in the growing meat-alternatives industry.
How it's produced
Peas are a cool-season crop, planted in autumn or early spring depending on the climate. Garden peas for fresh and frozen markets are grown on trellised vines, harvested when the pods are plump but the peas are still tender, and processed quickly — frozen peas are typically blanched and frozen within hours of harvest to preserve sweetness.
Dried field peas are a broadacre crop, grown at large scale much like wheat or canola. The plants are left to mature and dry in the field before being harvested by combine. Australia grows field peas extensively in southern regions, with much of the crop exported. As a legume, peas fix nitrogen in the soil through symbiotic root bacteria, making them valuable in crop rotations for improving soil fertility and reducing fertiliser needs.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
* Based on what it takes to produce, from farm to factory gate.
Keeping it
Keep it: in the fridge, eat within 3 days.
In the fridge: about 3 days.
In the pantry: about 365 days (from date of purchase).
Advice from Cubud’s own keeping notes — how to keep it, not a measured number.
What comes from this
Your household's take
One thumb per person, shared with your household — it steers what the wider-web shelf and the swap chips offer you. Tap again to take it back.
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