[Sca-cooks] pease porridge?

[Terry Decker]

The field pea is Pisum sativum var. arvense and is of Eurasian origin. 
Black-eyed peas and cowpeas are Vigna unguiculata and are believed to be of 
African origin.

The European "white" pea appears to be a variety of field pea.

The garden pea is Pisum sativum sativum and it's been around a long time. 
Petite pois, a dwarf version of the garden pea, was being eaten in France 
during the 14th Century.

The navy pea and the white pea you mention together are better known as the 
navy bean or white pea bean.  The are members of Phaseolus and are of New 
World origin.

If you attempt to use Gerard or any of the early taxonimists to determine 
what modern peas were in use then, you will have problems.  What were once 
classified as a number of different species have been have been rolled into 
Pisum sativum (for example, P. majus and P. minus are considered high bush 
and low bush variants).

Bear


> >From discussions on this list since at least 1997, and my own independent 
> >study, I am not happy with any of the common "peas" available.
> "English" peas or garden peas were developed fairly recently in France, I 
> believe.  Black eyed peas and field peas and cow peas and purple crowders 
> are all related and come out of Africa.  Navy peas, and white peas found 
> on most grocery shelves are of New World origin.  The garden peas named by 
> Gerard do not seem available, having been replaced in the main by the 
> varieties developed in the 17th and 18th century.  Of the nine peas and 
> beans listed by Gerard, only four still seem to be readily available: 
> lentils, favas, chick peas, and a standard white pea still eaten in 
> Western Europe according to Adamantius.  The "green" pea mentioned in many 
> recipes of our time seem to be the fresh, immature form of this same white 
> pea.  Because I don't have access or knowledge of that one, I choose to 
> use lentils, which are readily available, and lend themselves quite well 
> to the recipes calling for peas.
>
> Daniel Myers <edouard at medievalcookery.com> wrote:
>
> Aren't peas (both green and white) old world plants? They both show up
> in enough recipes.
>
> I've found dried white peas in large bags in the Indian (India) section
> of the grocery store - labeled "Vatana".
>
> - Doc
>
>
>
> Pat Griffin
> Lady Anne du Bosc
> known as Mordonna the Cook
> Shire of Thorngill, Meridies
> Mundanely, Millbrook, AL
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