Green peas: nutrition and how to use it

Fun facts

• In the 1800s, scientist Gregor Mendel grew thousands of pea plants to see how seed color and shape passed from one generation to the next. These experiments laid the foundation of genetics.
• Peas are legumes, so they carry more protein than typical vegetables: about 5.4g per 100g, almost double what kale has.
• Fiber is high too, at about 5.7g per 100g. Add 40mg of vitamin C, a surprising number for a little seed.
• The natural sweetness comes from about 5.7g of sugar per 100g. Peas are sweetest just after picking, because their sugar slowly turns into starch.

Choosing and storing

If you buy fresh pods, choose firm, glossy green ones with full but not oversized peas. Shelled fresh peas should be cooked within 1 to 2 days. Frozen peas are very handy: they are frozen right after harvest, so they keep their sweetness and color and last a few months in the freezer.

Cooking it well

Peas cook very fast, just 2 to 4 minutes of boiling or stir frying. Overcook them and they wrinkle and turn grey. You can add frozen peas straight to soup, fried rice or sticky rice without thawing. We have a full piece on what is in green peas. At kOBE, our Đậu Hà Lan comes cooked and frozen, at about 84 kcal and 5.4g of protein per 100g, in our ready ingredients.

Frequently asked questions