Mushy peas Mushy peas Mushy peas are dried marrowfat peas which are first soaked overnight in water with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), then rinsed in fresh water and simmered with a little sugar and salt until they form a thick green lumpy mash. Sometimes mint is used as a flavouring. In Northern England and the Midlands they are a traditional accompaniment to fish and chips, although their appeal has spread. All over Britain, but particularly in Northern England, they are commonly served as part of the popular snack of pie and peas (akin to the South Australian pie floater, but with mushy
Black peas Black peas Black peas, also called parched peas or dapple peas, form a traditional Lancashire dish served often, with lashings of malt vinegar, on or around Bonfire Night (5 November). The dish is popular in Bury, Preston, Rochdale, Oldham, Wigan, Bolton and Heywood, and is made from the purple podded pea ("Pisum sativum" var. arvense) which is soaked overnight and simmered to produce a type of mushy pea. "Parching" is a now-defunct term for long slow boiling. These are field peas, left to dry on the plant, as distinct from garden peas, picked green for consumption fresh. The Carlin pea