Snow Peas (Mangetout) - How To Prep & Use Them - Diversivore

How to Find, Choose, & Use

Snow PeasPisum sativum var. saccharatum

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The Basics

How-To Find/Choose/PrepCooking & Culinary InfoNutrition & Science

• What Is It?

  A variety of legume which, unlike the English or garden pea, is contained in a tender, edible pod.  The tender shoots of the plant, called pea tips, are also eaten as a vegetable (click here to read about pea tips/sprouts).

• Seasonality

  Available YEAR-ROUND, but best in Spring and Fall.

• Flavour Profile

  Green/Sweet - similar to shelled peas, but with an added 'green' flavour.

• Other Names

  French: mangetout (also used in English)Chinese: - 荷兰豆 - hé lán dòu (Mandarin)

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Snow Pea FAQs

Are Snow Peas the Same As Snap Peas?

No, they're not, but they are very similar.  Both are true peas (Pisum sativum) with edible pods, but they're different varieties with slightly different features.  Snow peas (Pisum sativum var. saccharatum) tend to have very flat, thin pods, while snap peas (Pisum sativum var. macrocarpon) have thicker, rounder pods.  The two varieties are fairly interchangeable from a culinary standpoint.

Are Snow Peas Keto/Low-Carb?

Yes. Peas in general are a higher-carb green vegetable, but snow peas are considerably lower in carbohydrates than their shelled cousins.  A 100 g serving of snow peas only contains 7.55 grams of carbohydrates.

Do You Have to Peel Snow Peas?

You want to pop the stem end off of your snow peas first.  There's a fibrous strip running from the stalk along the back side to the tip of the pod.  This can be a little tough, so many people choose to pull it off (see Prep notes below), but it's not always necessary.  If you have particularly young and tender snow peas you can just eat them as-is.

The entire pod of the snow pea is edible, so there's no need to remove any portions of it unless they're particularly damaged or discoloured.

Why Are They Called Snow Peas?

Snow peas can be grown as a field crop in the winter (at least in relatively moderate climates), and will even grow through/under some snow - hence the name.

How-To

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• Find

  Snow peas are easiest to find at Asian grocery stores, but are usually fairly common at well-stocked general grocery stores.

• Choose

  Look for vibrant, light emerald green pods. While it isn’t uncommon for snow peas top have small pale ‘checks’ along the surfaces of the pods, you want to try to avoid pods that are heavily marked or damaged looking. Avoid old, dry snow peas, which often crack and fray around the ends of the pods.

• Prep

  Difficulty: Easy to Moderate - Wash thoroughly, then snap off any stalks at the base of the pods. Many people also pinch off the hooked tip at the end of the pods in order to peel off the stringy fibers along the seams of the pod (see 'Need More Details?' below).

• Use

  Can be eaten raw or cooked. Snow peas generally benefit from fairly light cooking, which allows them to retain their colour, flavour, and texture.

• Store

  Short Term: Refrigerate (unwashed, 3-5 days in a breathable plastic bag in the crisper)Long Term: Wash and thoroughly dry, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 year.

▸NEED MORE DETAILS? CLICK HERE!

Preparation - As suggested by the French name mangetout (literally ‘eat all’), not much needs to be done with snow pea pods. Remove the small section stem/leaf section at the stalk-end, if present (some snow peas will be sold with these already removed).  Some people choose to remove a bit more of the stem end of the pod itself, as it is a little tougher and less attractive, but this is not strictly necessary (especially for young/tender pods). If you do choose to remove the stem ends, you can do so by cutting it off or gently snapping at the base (a sharp fingernail helps with this).

Many people pull off the long, tougher fibrous strings that run along the outer pea pod seams.  This isn't strictly necessary, though it's a good idea if the pods are a bit older or tougher.  This is easiest to do by pinching off the hooked tip of the pea pod with your fingernails, then carefully pulling the length of the pod to remove the long 'strings.'  Sometimes you'll find that you need to peel both seams, while other times you might just find that the back edge of the pod needs peeling.  I find that you generally get a sense for how stringy your batch of snow peas will be after peeling the first three or four.

Make sure to thoroughly wash and rinse the pea pods, both to ensure that they’re clean and to remove all of the little pieces of the pea flowers that are often found stuck to the outsides of the pods.

Culinary Info

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• Flavour Profile

  Mild/Sweet/Green - Snow peas taste... well, like peas. They have much of the same distinctive, moderately sweet pea flavour, though with an added leafy-green vegetable aspect.

• Substitutions

  Snap peas and snow peas can be used more-or-less interchangeably.

• Cuisines

  Sometimes used raw in salads, but most popular as a cooked (and especially as a flash-cooked or stir-fried) vegetable. Though not unique to East Asian food, snow peas nonetheless appear quite frequently in East Asian and Asian-inspired dishes.

• Flavour Pairings

  Distinctive yet relatively mild, snow peas work well with a variety of foods. Their bright but mild flavour makes them popular in seafood dishes and alongside other vegetables. Snow peas work quite nicely with texturally similar vegetables (carrots, water chestnuts, and lotus roots are excellent examples).

• Varieties

  While there are multiple snow pea varieties available to home gardeners, commercial snow peas tend to be fairly homogeneous.

More Info

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• Nutrition

  Nutrition Facts Snow Pea Pods - 100 g (3.5 oz) Amount Per Serving Calories 42 Calories from Fat 9 % Daily Value* Fat 1g2%Saturated Fat 1g6%Sodium 4mg0%Potassium 200mg6%Carbohydrates 8g3%Fiber 3g13%Sugar 4g4%Protein 3g6% Vitamin A 1087IU22%Vitamin C 60mg73%Calcium 43mg4%Iron 2mg11% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Very high in Vitamin C with respectable amounts of fiber and Vitamin A.

• Top-To-Tail

  In addition to the pods, the young green leaves and shoots are also edible (and delicious). For more on those, click here. Pea flowers are also edible, but make sure you're eating true pea (Pisum sativum) and not sweet pea (see Top-to-Tail note below for more information).

• GMO Status

  There are no GM or gene-edited snow peas in the human food supply.

• Health & Science

  - Exceptionally healthy and and fairly nutrient-dense - Peas and their relatives are extremely commonly used a variety of agricultural settings for their ability to fix nitrogen in the soil. Bacterial associations with pea plant roots draw nitrogen from the air and convert it to a source that can be used by plants. This valuable ability can ‘recharge’ the nitrogen content of soil, thereby reducing the demand for fertilizers.

• Organic vs. Conventional

  Conventionally grown snow peas are generally much easier to find than organic, though organic peas are available. Conventionally grown snow and snap peas have been flagged by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) for having fairly high pesticide residues.

▸TOP-TO-TAIL NOTE

Young pods (and the peas within them), leaves, shoots, and microgreens are all widely eaten.  The more mature parts of the plant are not inedible, but are much tougher and more bitter.

Pea flowers are also edible, and make a beautiful addition to salads and other dishes.  But note that you must be sure you are eating true pea (Pisum sativum) flowers, and not sweet pea flowers. The popular flowering ornamental sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) is NOT the same plant, and is in fact toxic.  No part of it should be eaten!

Snow Pea Recipes

Stir-fried Snow Peas & Lotus Root

Shrimp & Clams with Black Bean & Citrus Sauce

How to Stir-Fry Chinese Greens

How To Braise Chinese Greens

How to Blanch and Dress Chinese Greens

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