Snow Peas

sold by the 1/2lb

The best ones are small, no more than two-and-a-half inches in length.

Why does the length matter? Because, most times, it is a gauge of the maturity of the pods. The younger and smaller ones are more tender and, often, sweeter. The larger ones can be pretty fibrous.

Snow peas are notable for having thin, edible pods that lack inedible fiber. The stems and leaves of the immature plant are used as a vegetable in Chinese cooking, stir-fried with garlic and sometimes combined with crab or other shellfish.

They are called chicharo or sitsaro in the Philippines.