I like how dried peas are "split" in English and "broken" in French. It makes one take pause and consider what hardships these poor peas must have gone through to arrive at their current condition.
Also, it's my understanding that peas were a crucial first crop for farmers in the Middle Ages, since they are fairly quick to grow and helped bridge the hunger gap that typically happened in the early spring when winter food stuffs had run out so, um, "Yay, peas."
This is such a fascinating and complicated topic! I know I'll do another post on fresh green peas and maybe chick peas (I never know how long they've been popular in France!) but I know there was so much information I couldn't get to and had to leave out. Your added info is ALWAYS appreciated!
And Jamie, if you want to open a can of worms (or soup, as it were, such as the wonderful canned pea soup made by Habitant of Manchester, NH), get 2 or more French-Canadians together to argue about whether it's made with yellow peas or green (always yellow, in my book) and whether split or not.
Oooh Jamie, you’ve finally convinced me to give pea soup a try, always avoided due to hating pork in soups, lol. Anyway, large crop of peas growing right now, to freeze and dry, thank you so much for sharing, each of these recipes you share are so thoughtful and timely.
Thank you so much, Tanya! Please let me know if - when - you make it! Use a nice, rich, good quality chicken or vegetable broth and don't forget a dollop of cream and the croutons! Without the ham, this is such a deliciously flavorful soup!
I fell down the rabbit hole with the reference to silphium which apparently was considered a panacea and was so important to the Northern African city of Cyrene that it was featured on their coins. Do you know if
Thank you again for the history lesson. In Denmark it is just known for being for peasants or the food for the working class. Grew up having this - and always enjoyed it.
My father was Belgian where soup is served at every noon meal. Split pea soup was one of his specialties, with ham or bacon most of the time, without during Lent. I never got the hang of his homemade croutons. I do have a question, though.. what is the point of splitting the peas? We don’t split other dried legumes like beans or lentils.
That's an excellent question. In my research - I didn't look into this specifically - I thought that maybe it was natural, their using larger peas for dried, so maybe they are naturally in two hemispheres? Or maybe it was to speed up the drying process or make sure the peas weren't soft in the middle? I'd be curious to know if any readers know the answer to this. After I saw your question, I did a super quick google search but found no response. Maybe in an old agricultural journal or newspaper...
Jamie, thank you for including this dish. I'm a 2nd-generation French-Canadian American, and was brought up on pea soup. Also, I worked throughout high school in a restaurant run by a French-Canadian family and this was featured on the weekend menu. I admit to seeing the photo and name, and immediately going to the recipe; I'll now read the piece to see if you mentioned how it traveled to Canada from France.
I understand the omission of any pork to accommodate different cultural traditions or dietary choices, but we (and the restaurant) always used a leftover ham bone from a Sunday dinner. Also, we used what we called herbes salee, salted herbs such as parsley etc. to both flavor the dish and add some green color. The restaurant always made it with whole yellow peas, not split green peas, and after a long slow simmer most of the peas broke down and thickened the broth, but a small portion remained whole. Carrots and an allium (we used onion, as leeks weren't readily available back then.)
It brings back so many delicious memories, and I'll have to prepare it again -- I try to at least once a year.
Thank you for this comment and your variation on my French version! I almost added extra directions for those who want to add ham, lardons, bacon, or a ham bone, but didn't in the end... this version using a rich chicken stock and topped with a little crème fraîche is so good that I want people to try it this way. That said, I know I'll be redoing this recipe soon using smoked bacon just to see how it is!
I like how dried peas are "split" in English and "broken" in French. It makes one take pause and consider what hardships these poor peas must have gone through to arrive at their current condition.
Also, it's my understanding that peas were a crucial first crop for farmers in the Middle Ages, since they are fairly quick to grow and helped bridge the hunger gap that typically happened in the early spring when winter food stuffs had run out so, um, "Yay, peas."
This is such a fascinating and complicated topic! I know I'll do another post on fresh green peas and maybe chick peas (I never know how long they've been popular in France!) but I know there was so much information I couldn't get to and had to leave out. Your added info is ALWAYS appreciated!
And Jamie, if you want to open a can of worms (or soup, as it were, such as the wonderful canned pea soup made by Habitant of Manchester, NH), get 2 or more French-Canadians together to argue about whether it's made with yellow peas or green (always yellow, in my book) and whether split or not.
Chick peas just *feel* as though they would have been popular in the south for much longer than in the rest of France (I'm thinking about panisses).
And I'm glad you liked the added info!
Peas, peas, they bring me to my knees. A little more wine please!
hahaha
I make this with fresh ham hocks ( not smoked) and freeze it in serving size for an easy re heat in the microwave.
We ate it 3 days in a row.... it was so good... that there was nothing to freeze LOL!
Oooh Jamie, you’ve finally convinced me to give pea soup a try, always avoided due to hating pork in soups, lol. Anyway, large crop of peas growing right now, to freeze and dry, thank you so much for sharing, each of these recipes you share are so thoughtful and timely.
Thank you so much, Tanya! Please let me know if - when - you make it! Use a nice, rich, good quality chicken or vegetable broth and don't forget a dollop of cream and the croutons! Without the ham, this is such a deliciously flavorful soup!
I fell down the rabbit hole with the reference to silphium which apparently was considered a panacea and was so important to the Northern African city of Cyrene that it was featured on their coins. Do you know if
Asafoetida is truly related to silphium?
Oh my! Never heard of it and never thought about it but now I want to know!
I’m quite a food nerd 🤓
Haha someone HAS to be! And you make me think!!
https://youtube.com/shorts/60DFfofFh58?si=wdihcm5XmlhtFedN
Parthian Chicken
Thank you for this delightful time-traveling essay! I so appreciate your culinary and writing skills.
Kind regards from a Washington state fan…
Thank you so very much, Penelope! That means so much to me!! Never hesitate to give me feedback!
Thank you again for the history lesson. In Denmark it is just known for being for peasants or the food for the working class. Grew up having this - and always enjoyed it.
Thank you, Brita! Is your Danish recipe similar or different than this French one?
Merci Beaucoup for this fascinating essay on the history of peas and pea soup. I will give your recipe a try - looks and sounds delicious!
OOooh please let me know if and when you make it and how it turns out!
My father was Belgian where soup is served at every noon meal. Split pea soup was one of his specialties, with ham or bacon most of the time, without during Lent. I never got the hang of his homemade croutons. I do have a question, though.. what is the point of splitting the peas? We don’t split other dried legumes like beans or lentils.
That's an excellent question. In my research - I didn't look into this specifically - I thought that maybe it was natural, their using larger peas for dried, so maybe they are naturally in two hemispheres? Or maybe it was to speed up the drying process or make sure the peas weren't soft in the middle? I'd be curious to know if any readers know the answer to this. After I saw your question, I did a super quick google search but found no response. Maybe in an old agricultural journal or newspaper...
Jamie, thank you for including this dish. I'm a 2nd-generation French-Canadian American, and was brought up on pea soup. Also, I worked throughout high school in a restaurant run by a French-Canadian family and this was featured on the weekend menu. I admit to seeing the photo and name, and immediately going to the recipe; I'll now read the piece to see if you mentioned how it traveled to Canada from France.
I understand the omission of any pork to accommodate different cultural traditions or dietary choices, but we (and the restaurant) always used a leftover ham bone from a Sunday dinner. Also, we used what we called herbes salee, salted herbs such as parsley etc. to both flavor the dish and add some green color. The restaurant always made it with whole yellow peas, not split green peas, and after a long slow simmer most of the peas broke down and thickened the broth, but a small portion remained whole. Carrots and an allium (we used onion, as leeks weren't readily available back then.)
It brings back so many delicious memories, and I'll have to prepare it again -- I try to at least once a year.
Thanks again, and cheers!
Thank you for this comment and your variation on my French version! I almost added extra directions for those who want to add ham, lardons, bacon, or a ham bone, but didn't in the end... this version using a rich chicken stock and topped with a little crème fraîche is so good that I want people to try it this way. That said, I know I'll be redoing this recipe soon using smoked bacon just to see how it is!
Thank you!
Vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth, oil or margarine in place of the butter, and the crème fraîche is optional, it certainly is.