Those Peas In A Pod

Used for stews that go especially well with rice and chapati, these little seeds originated from the Middle East region about 11,300 years ago. Peas are rich in protein, complex carbohydrates and minerals like iron and calcium, and pack a multiple nutritional punch. They are also naturally low in sodium and fat.

For optimum growth peas require altitudes above 750m in tropical regions. They need cool and moist conditions, well-drained soils and temperatures between 10 and 30 degrees in order to thrive and grow to an ideal size. In Kenya, three main varieties can be found: garden or English peas, snow peas and sugar snap peas.

Let’s peel their pods together!

Garden peas are the most popular type familiar in many Kenyan homes and markets. They need to be shelled before the peas inside can be cooked.  Shelling is often a tedious process that requires deftly avoiding the small green caterpillars that can be found lurking in the pods. The work of shelling used to be an opportunity for women to connect and catch up on the latest story in the village, but many urban household managers now prefer to purchase them shelled – providing extra income along the value chain as shelled peas come at a premium price.

Snow peas on the other hand, are flat and translucent, with immature peas inside. They are eaten whole, either raw or cooked and are mainly for the export market and familiar to purveyors of Chinese cuisine. Sugar snap peas are a cross between garden and snow peas. Their peas are often large and sweet, hence their name. Like snow peas, they are also edible whole but can be shelled.

Peak selling season for pea farmers occurs twice a year: between March and June and from November to January. Farming is undertaken in highland counties like Nyandarua, Nyeri, Uasin Gishu, Kericho and Trans Nzoia. While there is a bustling local market, this is a vegetable that makes more dollars than shillings. Kenya is the 8th-largest pea exporter in the world and the largest in Africa. Europe is the main market of our peas, particularly the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France and Germany.

What do you think of that little story in a pod?