Pea

Pisum sativum, PisumAlso called pisum

A pea is a tender seed that cooks treat as a vegetable. Peas can be eaten raw, boiled, simmered, roasted, steamed, or stewed, and pair with butter and spearmint. They are sold fresh, frozen, canned, or dried.

Plant-based
Gluten-free
No listed allergens

About the plain ingredient, not packaged products; general information, not medical advice. Details

Category: Vegetables
Part used: Seed
Family: Fabaceae
Texture: Tender
Cooked most in: Europe, Asia, Africa
Top country: Poland
Dishes: 14 in the catalogue
Energy: 52 kcal per 100 g

Photo: David Adam Kess · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

In the kitchen

How to use pea

Typical ways to cook or use it

Boil simmer
Raw
Roast
Steam
Stew

Preparing it

Shell peas before freezing them.

Cooking with it

Boiling or steaming makes peas taste sweeter.

Goes well with

Flavour

Taste and texture

Texture

Tender

Shopping

Choosing and storing pea

Choosing a good one

Smaller peas are graded more highly for tenderness.

Sold as: Canned, Dried, Fresh, Frozen

Nutrition

What 100 g of pea holds

Per 100 g, frozen. Averages from USDA; real values vary by variety, season and growing conditions.

Protein 27%Fat 3%Carbohydrate 70%of the macronutrients by weight

Nutrition per 100 g of pea, frozen
Energy	52 kcal · 218 kJ
Protein	3.5 g
Fat	0.38 g
of which saturated	0.07 g
Carbohydrate	9 g
of which sugars	4.8 g
Fibre	3.1 g
Sodium	5 mg
Cholesterol	0 mg

Nutrition per 100 g of pea, frozen: minerals and vitamins
Potassium	217 mg
Calcium	59 mg
Iron	2.4 mg
Magnesium	28 mg
Zinc	0.49 mg
Vitamin C	22 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)	66 µg
Folate	35 µg

Source: USDA FoodData Central (food 170418), public domain. Minerals and vitamins are listed only where USDA measured a non-zero amount.

Around the world

Where pea is cooked

14 dishes in the catalogue use pea. Here is where they come from.

Dishes by continent

Countries whose dishes use it most

Counts are catalogued dishes from each country that list pea among their ingredients.

Origins

Native to: Western Asia

16XX/17XX
Eating fresh, immature peas became popular during the 17th and 18th centuries.
1660 · Italy and France
Green peas were brought from Genoa to the French royal court in January 1660.

On the table

Dishes made with pea

11 of the 14 catalogued dishes that use it, spread across the countries they come from.

Thiebou Yapp
Senegal
Aşure
Franciasaláta
Hungary, Russia
Tetal
Indonesia
Samosa
Hototay
Xidoufen
Mattar paneer
India
Peas with salo
Poland
Pea soup
Lashka

Dish lists come from Wikidata; a dish counts when its recorded ingredients include pea.

Good to know

Diet and allergens: pea in detail

These notes describe the plain ingredient. Packaged and prepared products vary, so read the label; for allergies and medical diets ask a doctor or dietitian.

Allergens: None of the 15 listed allergens foundChecked and not found: soy, eggs, fish, milk, lupin, wheat, celery, sesame, mustard, peanuts, molluscs, sulphites, tree nuts, crustaceans, gluten cereals.
Animal origin: No animal ingredients foundChecked and not found: egg, fish, meat, dairy, honey, insect, gelatin, poultry, bone char, shellfish, other animal, animal fining, animal rennet.
Gluten: None
Alcohol: None
Caffeine: None
Pork: None