Marrowfat peas are green mature
peas
The pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the flowering plant species ''Pisum sativum''. Each pod contains several peas, which can be green or yellow. Botanically, pea pods are fruit, since they contain seeds and d ...
(''Pisum sativum'' L.
or ''Pisum sativum'' var. ''medullare'') that have been allowed to dry out naturally in the field, rather than being harvested while still young like the normal
garden pea
The pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the flowering plant species ''Pisum sativum''. Each pod contains several peas, which can be green or yellow. Botanically, pea pods are fruit, since they contain seeds and d ...
. They are starchy, and are used to make
mushy peas
Mushy peas are dried marrowfat peas which are first soaked overnight in water with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), and then rinsed in fresh water, after which the peas are gathered in a saucepan, covered with water, and brought to a boil, and ...
.
[The Garden Pea](_blank)
Retrieved 14 April 2012. Marrowfat peas with a good green colour are exported from the UK to Japan for the snack food market,
while paler peas are used for canning. Those with thin skins and a soft texture are ideal for making mushy peas.
Its name 'marrowfat' was coined around 1730 from ''marrow'' and ''fat''. Another source says the peas were named because people wanted plump (''fat'') peas of the ''Maro'' variety, a Japanese variety introduced to the UK in the early 20th century.
See also
*
Split peas
Split peas are an agricultural or culinary preparation consisting of the dried, peeled and split seeds of ''Pisum sativum'', the pea.
Harvesting
The peas are spherical when harvested, with an outer skin. The peas are dried and the dull-coloure ...
, the skinned and halved dried pea
References
{{vegetable-stub
Legume dishes