Marrowfat peas Marrowfat peas Marrowfat peas are green mature peas that have been allowed to dry out naturally in the field, rather than be harvested whilst still young like the normal garden pea. They are used to make mushy peas, and also the snack food wasabi peas. Marrowfat peas with a good green color are exported from England to the Middle East and Japan for the snack food market, while paler peas are used for canning. Those with thin skins and a soft texture are ideal for making mushy peas. Marrowfat is a traditional, starchy, large-seeded variety of pea ("Pisum sativum" var.
Black peas Lancashire black peas, Carlin peas are fried with butter or dripping for a few minutes after boiling. They are often boiled for an hour rather than being slow boiled for up to three hours. They are also served fried and seasoned with vinegar and black pepper, but sometimes with rum and brown sugar. It has been suggested that the name "Carlin" comes from "Carling Sunday" or "Care Sunday" after the population of Newcastle were saved from starvation in a siege of 1327 or 1644 when a ship arrived from Norway with a cargo of these peas on that day. A