Snow peas are the young, bright green legumes of the pea plant. Because they are harvested very early they are flat, and the peas are not yet developed and are therefore small. You can eat the whole pod.
Sugar snaps and snow peas are sometimes confused. The difference between snow peas and sugar snaps can mainly be seen in the shape: snow peas are flat and sugar snaps are convex. The taste is also different; sugar snaps are sweeter and snow peas are soft and refined in taste.
We don’t know the origin of snow peas. Snow peas are family of the pea and on the basis of archaeological finds it is believed that peas were already cultivated 8000 BC in the Middle East. Our snow peas mainly come from Kenya, Zimbabwe, Guatemala and Ethiopia.
Snow peas have a mild, sweet taste with a fresh and crunchy texture. Always blanch or boil snow peas before use!
Wash the snow peas before use and cut a tip from the ends. Some snow peas have threads along the edges, which can pull you off if you cut the tips off. You can cook snow peas, but also stir-fry, steam, stew, or blanch them for use in salads.
Note: snow peas cannot be eaten raw, because in this state they contain toxic substances. Keep the cooking time short, because they taste best when slightly crispy.
Keep snow peas in the refrigerator, in an open or a sealed bag with holes. Then they can be kept for several days.
Always blanch or cook snow peas before use!
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