Pea

The seed pod of the pod fruit Pisum sativum is commonly referred as pea. Pea is an annual plant and has a life cycle of one year. It is commonly used as a vegetable in fresh, frozen or canned form.

History

Peas (Pisum sativum) was amongst the first crops cultivated by man. Middle Asia including northwest India and Afghanistan are believed to be the major centers of pea development.

Evidences of wild pea consumption dating back to 9750 BC have been found between Burma and Thailand. Peas as vegetable were used for the first time during 16th century. The ground situation has changed dramatically over the period of time with over a thousand species of peas available, as of now.

Purpose/Use 

During earlier times peas were basically grown for their dry seeds. But nowadays these form a part of our staple diet. Peas are boiled or steamed and used in a variety of culinary preparations.

Along with beans and lentils, peas form a part of our daily diet and are highly nutritious. Apart from human consumption, peas also form a part of staple livestock diet. Peas can be combined with other vegetables or can be cooked and eaten as a single vegetable preparation.

Benefits & Features 

Peas are available from spring through the beginning of winter.

Peas contain rich quantity of proteins, vitamins, magnesium, iron and potassium. They are a good source of fiber. Green peas are rich in vitamin C, K and carotene.