Advertisement
Peas
Appears in
Published 2004
The pea (Pisum sativum) is a legume domesticated in prehistoric times in western Asia. Peas can be divided into two categories: sweet or green peas, which can be eaten raw or briefly cooked, and field peas, which are dried for storage and require fairly long simmering to soften and cook them. Peas were widely distributed throughout the Old World in ancient times, and field peas were commonly eaten by the Greeks and Romans.
Peas did not become an important food in England until after the Norman Conquest in 1066. Thereafter, for the lower class, pea soup or gruel was a staple dish for hundreds of years. For the upper class, peas with salt pork was considered a fashionable dish, to be consumed at feasts.