Peas are very popular and loved by adults and children around the world. This vegetable is inexpensive, but it is healthy and nutritious. In addition, peas are almost universal in culinary terms: they eat it fresh, add it to the first and vegetable dishes, use it as a side dish or one of its ingredients, and also make all kinds of pie fillings. Consider in detail the features of its structure, composition and other characteristics.

Origin of culture

It is believed that mankind owes peas to South-West Asia, more precisely to modern Afghan, Indian, Ethiopian, and Transcaucasian territories. Thanks to archaeological research, it became possible to trace how this culture spread throughout the world. So, more than 20 thousand years ago, in Neolithic times, in the territory of modern Serbia, Croatia, France, Italy, Germany, Austria and other European countries, this vegetable was cultivated along with cereals: millet, barley, wheat.

Did you know? Currently, India and China produce 70% of the world's peas. Canada sows them the largest, almost 1.5 million hectares, areas in the world, and France shows the highest productivity, collecting more than 20 centners from each hectare sown.

Archaeological research reports the widespread use of peas by representatives of the Cretan-Mycenaean civilization, which ended its existence one and a half thousand years before the advent of a new era. And they not only ate it themselves, but also fed pets. In the 1st century BC e. this vegetable got through India to China, and then to Japan. It is known that the inhabitants of medieval Europe very willingly included peas in their diet, because it can be stored dry for a long time, it is cheap and nutritious.Thanks to these qualities, the vegetable was very much in demand by the poor layers of the population of England, France, Scandinavia and other countries. It was often cooked with lard, and such a dish could supply a person with the energy necessary in moderate conditions of a European winter. Peas entered the New World only at the end of the 15th century, when Christopher Columbus sowed it in 1493 on the island of Isabella. On our lands, culture was cultivated by local tribes in the III – II millennium BC. In the XVIII century, it becomes very common, popular and in demand.

Structure

Pea is an annual herb belonging to the genus of herbaceous plants and is a member of the legume family. The Latin name is Pisum. The ground part of the peas is covered with a wax coating, which, however, is absent in some species.

Did you know? The first written source mentioning a recipe for making green peas, not a dry product, at the moment is the recipe book of Guillaume Tirel, dating from the XIII century. The author described a method of cooking "green peas in a pot."

Root system

The root system of the plant in question is pivotal, it is able to penetrate deeper to 1.5 m, while it branches extensively. If nodule bacteria are already found in the soil where the culture grows (those races that can absorb nitrogen directly from the atmosphere), nodules can form in the root areas.This phenomenon greatly affects the possibility of accumulation of nitrogen in the soil - a nutrient needed by all plants. After peas, thanks to the accumulated nitrogen (about 100 g of substance per 1 m²), any garden crops, especially cabbage, pumpkin and solanaceous crops, as well as various root crops, perfectly grow.

Stem

Peas have a grassy, ​​weakly climbing, easily lodging, rounded stem, the length of which varies from 25 cm to 3 m, depending on the variety and growing conditions, as well as cultivation. Length is a feature by which the stem is divided into the following groups:

• dwarf or low - below 1.5 m;
• semi-dwarf - from 51 to 80 cm;
• medium - from 81 to 150 cm;
• high - from 1.5 to 3 m.

The stem happens:

• simple, otherwise lodging, which grows from 0.5 to 1 m;
• fasciated, otherwise standard or bush, it has from 7 to 21 knots, depending on how early the variety has matured.

Did you know? The French noble was very carried away by green peas after it, brought from Italy, was cooked by cook Odiger for the first time on January 18, 1660 and served Louis XIV to the table. This caused a side effect of increased flatulence and indigestion. Nevertheless, fashion lasted long enough, as evidenced by the fact that Oliver Goldsmith, a poet from Ireland, who often visited France in the 18th century, complained in his letters about a poisonous product made in French.

Leaves

The pea's leaf arrangement is opposite; this means that in the node 2 leaves are located one opposite to the other. The stipule is large enough, its shape resembles a half of the heart. On it and the leaves of the plant there is a grayish, silver-casting pattern resembling a mosaic. Its size and location are different and this is a varietal sign of culture.The leaves are complex, arranged in 2-3 pairs on the petiole, cirrus, ending with antennae, with which they can be fixed on the supporting culture. As with other monocotyledonous plants, the venation of pea leaves is reticulate. There are also other types of pea leaves:

• acacia - a leaf devoid of antennae has an unpaired leaf at the top;
• mustachioed or leafless - unpaired mustache, formed instead of leaves;
• repeatedly pinnate - a highly branched vein ends with 3-5 tiny leaves.

Important! One of the signs of pea variety is the color of its leaves, but it also largely depends on the conditions in which it grows, and on the care of the crop.

Leaflets in shape are:

• oblong;
• ovoid;
• obovate;
• rounded.

The following edges of the leaves are distinguished:

• whole extreme;
• toothed;
• serrated;
• fenced.

Color may vary in the following shades:

• yellow green
• light green;
• dark green;
• bluish green.

Flowers

Pea flowers are located on long peduncles, painted yellow, sometimes very short, almost sessile.

Did you know? Throughout the 19th century, French breeders bred a tremendous amount of green pea varieties. In 1906, France published the work of breeders "Denaif and Sons", which described about 250 different varieties of garden peas!

The inflorescence of the culture is carpal, its standard representatives can have a false umbrella. The corolla of pea flowers is very interesting - a moth, consisting of 5 petals:

• its sail has an obovate shape, in the upper part there is a notch;
• 2 wings or oars are elongated, sickle-shaped, have the most intense color in contrast to the sail;
• the boat is two petals fused together; in most cases it is colorless.

The corolla in cereal varieties of peas is most often white; feed varieties have a pink, purple or red-purple hue. The flower is equipped with a five-toothed conical leafy cup that looks like a bell.Of the ten available stamens, nine are fused, but one that is adjacent to the ovary is free. The ovary has 10 to 12 ovules. After sowing, peas bloom in a 30–55-day period.

Important! Despite the fact that peas are a self-pollinating crop, partial pollination is possible.

Fetus

The fruit of peas is a bean, consisting of 2 cusps with 3–12 seeds inside. The structure of the leaf can be peeling or sugar, it can also be semi-sugar:

• hulls are equipped with a hard layer inside, resembling parchment;
• sugar lack such a layer;
• in semi-sugar it is only partially developed.

It is the hulls that are threshed most easily. Varietal sign - the color of an unripe bean, which happens:

• yellow;
• light or dark green;
• purple.

Important! Ripe fruits turn yellow, brown or violet-brown.

In length they can be:

• small - 3-4 cm;
• medium - 4.5-6 cm;
• large - 6-10 cm;
• very large - 10-15 cm.

One of the varietal signs of a crop is the size of its seeds:

• small: the diameter of one seed is 3.5–5 mm, the mass of a thousand seeds is 150 g;
• medium: the diameter of one seed is 5–7 mm, the mass of a thousand is up to 250 g;
• large: the diameter of one seed is 7–10.5 mm; the mass of a thousand exceeds 250 g.

Their shape may be:

• angularly rounded;
• angular;
• oval elongated;
• spherical;
• flattened.

Pea seeds can have a smooth, wrinkled, as well as an indented surface, and their peel is most often colorless. The color of the cotyledons can be:

• yellow;
• green
• dark green;
• brown;
• purple.

The last two options are inherent in the varieties of feed direction. They can also have spots, stripes, dots.

Did you know? The word "peas", used in Slavic languages, is of ancient Indian origin. The fact is that in Sanskrit "garshati" means "rubbing." To obtain nutritious pea flour, it was necessary to grind it.

Biological requirements

Pea has certain biological requirements:

• cold resistance: the culture is undemanding to heat, its seeds are able to germinate at a temperature of +1 ... + 2 ° C, and seedlings can withstand 6–8-degree frosts;
• drought tolerance: medium-demanding, tolerates spring drought before bud formation quite easily, however, when the stage of budding and fruit formation begins, the plant becomes very sensitive to lack of moisture;
• high soil requirements: likes moist chernozem soils rich in lime, as well as gray forest, cultivated sod-podzolic soils with an acidity level of pH 6–7; heavy washed away, sandy, saline soil will not fit the culture;
• photophilousness: peas require a long daylight hours; it is faster in maturity than other legumes, having a growing season of 70–120 days;

Farmers and gardeners should be wary of the main crop pests:

• pea moth;
• pea weevil;
• pea aphids and others.

Did you know? There is a version of the origin of the third part of the name of the great Roman orator, consul Marcus Tullius Cicero, from the ancient Roman word “pea” - “pica”. Cicero did not heed the proposal of his friends to change such an “unsightly” name for advancement in his political career, and he did not lose: he glorified it for millennia.

Peas may be affected by the following dangerous diseases that the gardener will have to fight:

• ascochitosis;
• powdery mildew;
• Fusarium infection
• rust.

It is better to take care of their prevention in advance.

Chemical composition and calorie content

Pea contains a large amount of vegetable protein, similar in composition to animal, having in its composition essential amino acids and other substances necessary for the body. By the content of vegetable protein, peas are in second place and second only to lentils, which are leaders in this list.For every 100 grams of edible pea content, you have:

Important! Starch, which is contained in peas, is used in the production of bioplastics, which are degradable in the environment.

Features of the use of peas

Peas have been eaten since ancient times and to our time, since it is undoubtedly a useful vegetable, which is also very inexpensive and subject to long-term easy storage. However, its thoughtless use can in some cases cause harm to the human body.

Benefit

• The benefit is that this plant:
• more than other gifts of nature, it is rich in certain vitamins and minerals necessary for the prevention of various diseases;
• can replace meat or other protein products, for example, during the fasting period;
• contains natural antioxidants flavonoids, which reduce the level of acidity in tissues and inhibit malignant processes;
• contains thiamine, which slows down the aging process in the body, protects its cells from harm caused by harmful factors like nicotine or alcohol, stimulates the brain and energy production in the body;
• stimulates metabolism, relieving constipation, removes excess fluid;
• struggles with excess weight because it contains very few fats, and in some varieties they are not at all;
• allowed for people with diabetes, because the carbohydrates contained in it - glucose and fructose - enter the bloodstream without the help of insulin;
• helps to strengthen the cardiovascular system, which, in turn, is very important for the prevention of hypertension and heart attack;
• used in home cosmetology for the manufacture of masks that improve complexion, relieve swelling and prevent the occurrence of acne.

Important! It is permissible to store dried peas for up to 12 years if the conditions are met. At the same time, he does not lose his useful properties.

Harm and contraindications

• There are also a number of diseases in which the vegetable must be completely excluded from the diet or significantly limit its use:
• gout and / or old age: due to the presence of a large number of purines, contributing to an increase in the body's level of uric acid and the accumulation of its salts - urates, - in tendons, joints and other tissues;
• lactation: due to increased gas formation and the likelihood of colic in the baby;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: depending on which organ and to what extent is affected and on the stage of the disease, the doctor may recommend excluding or limiting the use of this product for life or temporarily.

Peas are a valuable gift of nature, which people since ancient times have appreciated and to this day pay tribute to him. It is eaten in many forms and varieties. Nowadays, the storage of this product is possible not only in dry form, but also in canned and frozen, which allows you to diversify the menu all year round, and not only in the transient period of its maturation.