Split pea

Split peas are made from mature, dried seeds of the field pea. The outer skin is removed and the round seed splits naturally along its middle into two halves. The two main types are green split peas, sweeter and earthier, and yellow split peas, milder and slightly more starchy. They do not need to be soaked and cook within about 30 to 45 minutes, breaking down into a smooth puree when simmered. Whole dried peas are also sold and need longer cooking.

The garden pea is one of the oldest cultivated crops and was domesticated in the Near East, in the Fertile Crescent, roughly 10,000 years ago, with wild forms found across the Mediterranean and western Asia. Dry peas for splitting are typically grown in cool temperate regions, with Canada, Russia, China, India, the United States and France among the major producers. Canada is a leading exporter of dry peas. Peas are nitrogen-fixing legumes and are commonly grown in rotation with cereals.

Dried peas were a staple through antiquity and the Middle Ages, when they were a standard food of ordinary people in Europe, easy to store through winter. Pease pottage and pease pudding are medieval and early modern English dishes, as in the nursery rhyme 'Pease porridge hot'. Gregor Mendel's famous genetic experiments in the 1860s used garden peas.

Split pea soup became a staple in Northern Europe, such as the Dutch erwtensoep and Swedish ärtsoppa, and in North America, where it is often made with ham. In South Asia, yellow split peas are widely used as a dal. Industrial pea splitting developed in the twentieth century, and more recently pea protein extracted from yellow peas has become a common ingredient in plant-based foods.

Split peas are simmered with onions, carrots and herbs to make thick soup, often with ham bone or smoked flavour in meat versions. In South Asia they become dal, fritters and the filling of snacks, and ground yellow peas are used in the Caribbean and in West Indian kitchens. They can be made into pease pudding, purees, dips and veggie burgers. They are also ground into flour, and the protein is isolated for plant-based products. Rinse and sort before cooking.

Split peas are a high-fibre, low-fat source of plant protein, folate, thiamine, iron, magnesium, potassium and manganese. A cooked cup supplies a large share of daily fibre needs, including soluble fibre. Pulses are associated with good dietary patterns, and replacing refined carbohydrates or some animal protein with them can improve fibre intake. Iron absorption from peas improves when paired with vitamin C-containing foods. They are low in sodium unless cooked with salty ingredients.