Snow pea
| Snow pea | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Snow pea on the plant | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae Lindl. |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Pisum |
| Species: | Pisum sativum |
| Variety: | P. sativum var. saccharatum |
| Trinomial name | |
| Pisum sativum var. saccharatum | |
The snow pea (Pisum sativum var. saccharatum) is a legume, more specifically a variety of pea eaten whole in its pod while still unripe. The name mangetout (French for “eat all”) can apply both to snow peas and to snap peas.
In food
Snow peas, along with sugar snap peas and unlike field and garden peas, are notable for having edible pods that lack inedible fiber[1] (in the form of "parchment", a fibrous layer found in the inner pod rich in lignin[2]) 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.[1] p is responsible for reducing the schlerenchymatous membrane on the inner pod wall, while v reduces pod wall thickness (n is a gene that thickens pod walls in snap peas).[3]
The green shoots can also be cut and served as a vegetable as is done in Chinese cooking, especially stir-fried with garlic or shellfish such as crab.[4]
 | |
| Snow peas (Pisum sativum) | |
| Nutritional value per serving | |
|---|---|
| Serving size | 100g |
| Energy | 176 kJ (42 kcal) |
| Carbohydrates | 7.55 |
| - Sugars | 4.00 |
| - Dietary fiber | 2.6 |
| Fat | 0.2 |
| Protein | 2.8 |
| Water | 88.89 |
| Vitamin A | 1087 IU |
| - beta-carotene | 630 μg (6%) |
| - lutein and zeaxanthin | 740 μg |
| Thiamine (vit. B1) | 0.150 mg (13%) |
| Riboflavin (vit. B2) | 0.08 mg (7%) |
| Niacin (vit. B3) | 0.6 mg (4%) |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.75 mg (15%) |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.16 mg (12%) |
| Folate (vit. B9) | 42 μg (11%) |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 μg (0%) |
| Choline | 17.4 mg (4%) |
| Vitamin C | 60 mg (72%) |
| Vitamin D | 0 μg (0%) |
| Vitamin E | 0.39 mg (3%) |
| Vitamin K | 25 μg (24%) |
| Calcium | 43 mg (4%) |
| Iron | 2.08 mg (16%) |
| Magnesium | 24 mg (7%) |
| Manganese | 0.244 mg (12%) |
| Phosphorus | 53 mg (8%) |
| Potassium | 200 mg (4%) |
| Sodium | 4 mg (0%) |
| Zinc | 0.27 mg (3%) |
| Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database | |
As 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.
Cultivation and storage
Snow peas can be grown in open fields during cool seasons and can thus be cultivated during winter and spring seasons.[3]
Storage of the pea with films of polymethylpentene at a temperature of 5°C and a concentration of oxygen and carbon dioxide of 5 kPa increases the shelf life, internal and external characteristics of the plant.[5]
History
Austrian scientist and monk Gregor Mendel used peas which he called "Pisum saccharatum" in his famous experiments demonstrating the heritable nature of specific traits, though this may not refer to the same varieties identified with modern snow peas.[6]
Gallery
-
Snow pea flowers
-
Sautéed snow pea shoots, a popular dish in Chinese cuisine
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Singh RJ; Jauhar PP (2005). Genetic Resources, Chromosome Engineering, and Crop Improvement. CRC Press. pp. 74. ISBN 978-0-8493-1430-8.
- ↑ McGee, RJ; Baggett JR (1992). "Inheritance of Stringless Pod in Pisum sativum L.". J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 117 (4): 628–632.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 De Ron, AM; et al. (2005). "Identifying superior snow pea breeding lines" (pdf). HortScience 40 (5): 1216–1220.
- ↑ "Snow Pea Shoots Photo - Chinese Vegetable Photos". Chinesefood.about.com. 2011-10-17. Retrieved 2011-12-18.
- ↑ Pariasca, JAT; et al. (2001). "Effect of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and controlled atmosphere (CA) storage on the quality of snow pea pods (Pisum sativum L. var. saccharatum)". Postharvest Biology and Technology 21 (2): 213–223. doi:10.1016/S0925-5214(00)00149-6.
- ↑ Ellis, T. H. N.; Hofer, J. M. I.; Timmerman-Vaughan, G. M.; Coyne, C. J.; Hellens, R. P. (2011). "Mendel, 150 years on". Trends in Plant Science 16 (11): 590–596. doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2011.06.006. PMID 21775188.