Sugar snap peas
The sugar snap peas are legumes of which you can eat the pod. They are used in Chinese cuisine but also in local cuisine, with butter or in a pan.
Sugar snap peas are very particular legumes: they are eaten in their entirety, pod included. For this reason, they are called in several ways, such as pea pods, manger peas and snow peas. They have a delicate flavour, similar to that of peas, and can be eaten both raw and cooked: those who choose to eat them raw must simply choose fresh ones, wash them, cut off the ends and the “thread” in the central part and taste them as snacks (together with a drizzle of oil or lemon juice), while those who want to cook them must follow the same instructions and once cleaned continue with steaming or pan cooking.
This legume is widely used in Chinese cuisine: sauteed together with other pan-fried vegetables, it is excellent for seasoning rice but also meat and fish. The same preparation can also be used to cook main courses based on vegetables, or you can gratin baked sugar snap peas like courgettes and tomatoes, or even make them with butter, as a side dish together with potatoes.
Nutritional values of snow peas
Sugar snap peas are not particularly caloric: 100 grams contain about 42 calories. Instead, they are rich in fibre, useful to regulate the intestine and to calm the sense of hunger, and iron, to improve situations of anaemia and tiredness thanks to nutrition.
