Peas

Dried green and yellow peas are the same peas we eat as a fresh vegetable, but they are left on the vine until mature and dry. They are usually split, with the hull removed, in order to speed cooking time, although whole peas are also available.

Black-eyed peas and pigeon peas are popular in the southern United States as well as in parts of Africa and the Caribbean. They are not related to green or yellow peas nor to kidney beans but, like regular peas, are often sold fresh in the pod as well as dried. Black-eyed peas are small, white, kidney-shaped beans with a black spot where the bean attaches to the pod. Pigeon peas are small and round or oval, with beige skin flecked with brown.