Earthnut pea
Earthnut Pea (Lathyrus tuberosus)
A perennial scrambling herb grown for its sweet, nutty tubers and vivid pink summer flowers 🌿💗
🌿 Earthnut pea is an old European root vegetable valued for its small, sweet, nutty tubers, once cultivated as a cottage‑garden food crop. The plant itself is a perennial scrambler or light climber, reaching around 1–2 m when supported, and producing crimson to deep pink pea‑like flowers in summer that attract bees .
Below ground, it forms clusters of edible tubers, traditionally harvested in late summer and autumn. Though rarely grown today, it remains a charming and unusual edible for perennial and edible gardens.
Earthnut pea is prized for its tubers, sometimes called “tuberous peas” or “Dutch mice”.
• Tubers can be roasted, boiled, sautéed, or added to stews, developing a sweet, nutty flavour .
• Young tubers are the most tender; older ones become starchier.
• Works well in root‑vegetable mixes, autumn dishes, and simple butter‑based preparations.
• Flowers, seeds, pods and leaves are NOT edible
Flavour profile: sweet, nutty, chestnut‑like.
