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The disappointment of the asparagus peas

Photo: Asparagus peas

Photo: Asparagus peas

Initially it was the picture on the pack of the pretty pods that attracted me and when I read about flavour of these peas I was seduced.

They took ages to germinate and flower but finally three pods appeared. I rushed back to the kitchen to steam the delicacy. The pods were of varying sizes, from an inch down to half an inch.

They were vile and tasteless with a nasty scratchy texture. Danny refused to even sample one.
“Why are you trying to force me if they are so unpleasant?”
He had a point, I suppose.


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45 Comments

  1. Antoniahk

    OK, here’s a recipe, to try and save the reputation of these poor veggies. In the recipe they are called winged beans – really, I recommend giving it a try!
    http://tinyurl.com/lmeltw

  2. I grew them in the first season in our current garden (1995). Couldn’t believe how horrible they were! Used up remaining seeds in 1996 believing I must have been mistaken! I’m amazed they’re still on the market – particularly when I see that not one of your correspondents has had ANTHING good to say about their taste! Pleased to know I’m not the only one but amazed that they’re still selling!

  3. Fiona Nevile

    Hello Antoniahk

    Thanks very much for this comment. I can see that they would be totally different added to dishes rather than being a seperate vegetable.

    Mine took a while to germinated and then went mad.

  4. Antoniahk

    I think maybe it’s the name that’s a big part of the problem. I first tried these in Thailand, where they are called winged beans (when translated onto an English menu, of course). They are served in a kind of salad with minced pork and coconut milk and the dish is delicious. I’d never really considered eating them as a separate vegetable. Since then we’ve been buying them (not particularly cheap, either)at the Thai grocery shop, purely to make this dish. They’re also popular in Sri Lanka where they are used in curries.
    As mentioned on Frugilegus’ blog, they are also grown in many places as you can eat every part of the plant, so it’s good in places where not much will grow. I’ve just planted some myself (T&M ‘Eden’ seeds), so am hoping for success (I’m in Hong Kong so don’t know if they’ll grow, just one has hatched so far).
    Although this is a defence of the (badly-named) asparagus pea, yes, I suppose they are a bit prickly…

  5. Fiona Nevile

    Hi Helen

    How did the company that developed them pass the stringent seed and flavour tests?

    Glad that you agreed 🙂

  6. How I agree!! Lured by a seductive picture and delicious description of their ” out of this world taste” I too succumbed. Most disgusting veg. I’ve ever grown!!!

  7. Fiona Nevile

    Hi Z

    I’m really angry about these. How could they be marketed as delicious veg when they are vile?

    I’m considering a campaign. Just don’t have the time to see it through.

    Hi Jo

    I totally agree, These are rubbish.

    Hi Belinda

    That is so Danny. If I have time to think I introduce a new dish quietly.

    However his taste buds are set at the finest point. Often I’m delighted with a recipe and he isn’t. This is maddening and frustrating. But if I tweak to delight we generally get a better dish. Even more maddening.

    Hello Kitty B

    I ripped the crop up last night but didn’t toss them to the chickens as they are very discerning and only eat tasty scraps.

  8. I grew these last year and, yes, I agree – they’re vile, I had a bumper crop, the buggers wouldn’t stop producing. Even the hens weren’t keen. And I was so disappointed too…

  9. Belinda

    I love that your Danny can be so much like my Mat.

    Stubborn arent they?

    We want them to try things as we need someone elses opinion & someone else to discuss them with.

    Last night Mat refused his mashed veg as he heard me say there was spinach in it – he eats spinach in all sorts of things without noticing & he knows this for true but he wouldnt even try the veg last night.

  10. Jo @ LittleFfarm Dairy

    Vile vegetables. In their seperate forms there can be few things more delicious than fresh asparagus or fresh peas from the pod; whoever christened these was either having a cruel joke or was out to make a fast buck.

    What a waste of food-growing space & time.

    Eugh!!

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