THESE LOOK LIKE little packets of folded leaves, flower buds, and tendrils that grow at the tips of pea vines. They are common ingredients in Chinese cooking and can sometimes be found in Chinatown markets during pea season. If you grow your own peas, you see them growing at the tips of the vines—snip off the outermost two or three inches of these tender tips. Cut them here and there from the vines so you leave plenty of growing tips to produce peas.
Pea shoots can be stir-fried with a few drops of toasted sesame oil and a pinch of salt, and perhaps some crushed almonds. Or you can steam them and serve them with a touch of butter and some fresh chervil. A pinch of salt and a shake of mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine) is another satisfying way to dress steamed pea shoots.
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