Dead Viking pea
$4.00
(Lathyrus oleraceus syn. Pisum sativum)
A pretty, 5’ tall pea with pink flowers and tiny, speckled, dark seeds. I acquired this variety from Revival Seeds, who received it from a friend from Oslo, Norway. According to them, it strongly resembles the peas found in Scandinavian burial mounds from 800 AD or so. It is, of course, hard to be sure over such a span of time that this is the same variety, but it is most likely a direct descendant of those hardy specimens. Curiously, this pea strongly resembles what the Swedes called foderärt (fodder peas), which were primarily used for high-protein feed for dairy cattle, while larger peas (called puggor or raber) were favoured for human food. However, it is nearly identical to ‘Rättviksärt‘, a fodder pea which is nevertheless experiencing a revival on the human (not bovine!) culinary scene which was historically ground for use in pea-flour pancakes, as in this recipe.
In stock
Plant as soon as ground can be worked. Sow 1” deep and 2” apart, in a double row 8” wide (if gardening in rows) or in rows every 8″ (if planting a field). Trellis with twine or netting if necessary. Harvest dry peas when pods and vines are turning brown and dry and seeds can no longer be dented with a fingernail.