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Editor's note: On my last visit to England, in
July, I unfortunately had to attend a cousin's funeral. At the pub
luncheon afterward, her sister had organized a buffet, including Mushy
Peas, which I had not had before. "I thought it would be only fitting
to have real English country food," said the cousin's sister, serving
up big, tasty portions to go with the beef stew.
Following is ex-pat Alana Muir's review of Mushy Peas, plus ordering
information and a link to Alana's website.
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Mushy Peas
Category:
vegetable
Price: 46p for a can at Tesco, about $1.80 in the US
Ingredients: processed marrowfat peas, water, sugar, salt, colours
Every British person I know has sung the praises of mushy peas.
Americans are used to fresh or frozen sweet peas. In Great Britain,
most people are used to the starchier marrowfat peas, cooked to the
point of mushiness. Hence the name "mushy peas." They are
primarily sold in cans and they are inexpensive and easy to heat in the
microwave. I think that they probably gained popularity around World
War II, when rationing made fresh vegetables difficult, so soaking and
cooking dried peas until they were edible was the best they could do.
They are traditionally served with fish and chips in a lot of regions
of Great Britain.
The label showed that the mushy peas are almost as healthy as any peas
you buy fresh, even if there's a bit more sodium. The peas were very
green. Alarmingly green. It reminded me of the green slime in
Ghostbusters. It smelled fine. Much like the peas I'm used to in the US.
Mushy peas taste pretty good. They aren't much to look at, but they had
a nice blend of saltiness and sweetness. The texture is a bit like
extra thick pea soup. Squishy and grainy, like overcooked squashed
peas. I like regular peas more I think, but I have no problem buying
and serving more mushy peas with dinner. I have trouble coming up with
good vegetable ideas, and I know my husband will always eat mushy peas.
If you want to try some mushy peas for yourself, you can get them from English Tea Store.
Article
copyright GirlAlive.com. Used
with permission
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For great drinking gear from
BoozeArtsAcademy.com, click here.
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Spellings in this article were left as Alana
wrote them; as she lives in the UK now, she spells accordingly.
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© 2010 Muffin Dog Press LLC
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England Southwest, Vol. 1, no. 3
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