Edible Value

Pea seeds contain large amounts of protein, vitamin B, beta-carotene, and other nutrients. Fresh peas, tender shoots, and tender pods can all be eaten as vegetables. Peas are available as grain peas, vegetable peas with edible tender seeds known as “sweet peas,” and vegetable peas with edible tender pods known as “snow peas.” They are delicious, sweet, and tender, and are popular as both grain and vegetable foods. Dried peas can be boiled, stir-fried, or used in soups, with a fresh and delicious flavor. They can also be used to make canned foods, brew soy sauce, and prepare bean fillings. In addition, they can be processed into starch, bean vermicelli, jelly noodles, plant-based meat, and candies.

Medicinal Value

Peas, as well as their seedlings, flowers, and pods, are used medicinally. Pea seeds are believed to regulate the digestive system, promote the downward movement of qi, detoxify the body, promote urination, and stimulate lactation. They are traditionally used to treat thirst, beriberi, edema, carbuncles, sores, and other conditions. Pea pods are used to detoxify the body and promote wound healing, while pea flowers and seedlings are believed to clear heat and cool the blood. 

Feed Value

Peas are rich in thiamine, riboflavin, and various inorganic salts, including calcium, iron, zinc, and phosphorus. They are an excellent concentrated feed for livestock and are widely used as protein supplement feed for pigs, chickens, quails, and other animals. Fresh pea stems and leaves can be fed fresh, ensiled, dried into hay, or processed into hay powder, and are also favored as feed by various livestock.

Other Value

Pea stems and leaves can be used as green manure or fuel. [1] In addition, when used as a preceding crop for cereal crops in crop rotation, peas can increase the yield and protein content of cereal crops and improve the quality of their seeds. Growing peas can promote the accumulation of nitrogen in the soil while improving its physical properties, making peas an excellent rotation crop.