US: Snow peas see boost in popularity

Although still less common than other pea varieties, the flat but hearty snow pea has slowly carved out a niche in the produce market. The U.S. market accounts for a small share of global sales, but recent trends in cooking have made snow peas a more regular staple at supermarkets.

“With the popularity of Asian Cooking and veg-centric cuisine, it seems as if snow peas will always be popular,” says Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce.

In addition to selling traditional snow peas, the company is looking forward to a second season of their Guatemala-grown Purple Snow Peas, which are available in bulk and in six-ounce consumer bags. The peas, which retain their purple color when cooked, have a taste similar to green snow peas.

The company sees most product coming from Mexico and Guatemala, with California producing in the spring. Those three make up the primary suppliers for the US market, but there is some competition from large growers in China and Africa.

“Globally, there are countries in Africa that are huge sources of supply to Europe and that are way bigger suppliers than the ones in the Americas,” Caplan says.

The price of snow peas can vary, with a lot depending on the weather. Sudden price increases and drops are common, particularly during the rainy summer season in key growing countries. According to Caplan, she sees a higher-than-usual market at the moment, but a leveling-off is expected in coming weeks.

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Karen Caplan