Today in Russia you are most likely to find green peas in Salad Olivier or as a garnish on a plate with hot dogs. We’ve known these classic Soviet dishes since childhood — in fact, many people think that canned peas appeared in the Soviet era. But the history of peas in Russia is older and much more interesting.
Peas have long been grown in Russia, predominantly in Volyn, Podolia, Kovno, Tambov, Penza, Saratov, Samara and Vyatka provinces, although peas were also grown in the northern provinces — even Arkhangelsk. The pre-revolutionary Brockhaus and Efron dictionary wrote that the average annual yield in 50 provinces over seven years (1883-1889) was more than 150 million gallons (more than 350,000 tons). The peasants of the village of Porechye were the first in the Rostov district of Yaroslavl province to grow vegetables, mainly green peas, chicory and various herbs.
Production began there in the 18th century. The secret of sugar snap peas production was brought to these regions by the peasant farmer Ilya Zolotakhin. The problem in the village of Porechye was a shortage of land.
Each farmer was only entitled to about four acres. There was no place to grow wheat. No matter how good the land was, farming on such small plots could not provide a livelihood.
But vegetable gardening made it possible to earn more from what land they had, even though it required more labor and effort. The land near Rostov Lake has long been famous for the best black soil in the province. The cl.
