Snow pea
A pea cultivar grown for its flat, tender pods, which are eaten whole before the seeds fully develop.
Pea: A cool-season legume cultivated for its edible seeds and pods. Snow peas are cultivated forms of pea selected for edible pods.
Snap pea: A pea cultivar with a thick, crisp, edible pod and plump seeds. Unlike snow peas, snap peas are eaten with pods that have filled out.
Stir frying: A cooking method that quickly fries small pieces of food over high heat while stirring. Brief high-heat cooking keeps snow pea pods crisp.
China: A country in East Asia with a long history of agricultural cultivation and regional cuisines. Snow peas have a longstanding place in Chinese cooking.
Pea pod: The fruit of a pea plant, containing seeds inside two joined walls. Snow peas are harvested while their pod walls remain flat and tender.
Garden pea: A pea cultivar grown mainly for its mature seeds, which are shelled before eating. Garden peas are harvested for developed seeds rather than flat pods.
Blanching: A cooking technique that briefly boils food before cooling it rapidly, often in ice water. Blanching brightens snow peas and softens them without prolonged cooking.
Chinese cuisine: The diverse regional food traditions of China and its diasporas. Snow peas are commonly used in Chinese dishes, especially quick-cooked preparations.
Pisum sativum: The species of annual legume that includes garden peas, field peas, and snow peas. Snow peas belong to this species.
Field pea: A group of pea cultivars grown chiefly for dry seeds, fodder, or cover crops. Field peas are generally harvested for dry seeds or forage, not tender pods.