Snow Peas also have the french name Mange Tout. Mange (meaning eat) and tout (meaning all), they are eaten whole.1. The snow pea is a legume, more specifically a variety of pea eaten whole in its pod while
still unripe.
2. Snow peas should be shiny and flat, with very small peas that are barely visible through the pod. Smaller pods are the sweetest and the most tender.
3. They have to be refridgerated as half of their sugar content will turn to starch within six hours if they are kept at room temperature.
4. The name snow peas may come from the fact that they are picked in early spring, when snow is still on the ground.
5. To prepare, slice through the stem end of each pod but do not sever the string on the side of the pod. Pull the stem end and string down the pod and repeat the procedure on the other side. You may leave the strings intact, if desired.
Reference: Wikipedia, Food Reference, About.com, Snow Peas, Waitrose
