Roveja / Wild Pea of Umbria

Pisum arvense

The importance of saving heritage seed could not be more perfectly exemplified in the case of Roveja, the Wild Pea of Umbria. This ancient pea has been grown along the Apennine Ridge as a mainstay of agrarian lifeways in this region for centuries. Roveja nearly slipped through the cracks of our collective memory owing to the rise of mechanical equipment and the industrialized shift in economics. This wild pea grows on shorter vines making mechanical harvest very difficult, if not impossible. It is far more effective to hand harvest Roveja with a scythe. When time becomes money, hand-powered systems swiftly disappear, and too the nuance and beauty of our symbiotic relationship with our natural world. Owing to the passion and dedication of local farmers and keepers of regional tradition, this seed escaped extinction and has been further brought to wider audiences as a Slow Food Ark of Taste variety.

The breathtaking beauty of this dry pea has us mesmerized. Roveja has a deep wisdom to her elegance. Rich variegated colors dazzle every handful of these special gems. Traditional preparation recommends 12 hours of soaking then to cook peas a day in advance [of eating] for best flavor. A traditional recipe calls for Roveja to be ground into flour and used as polenta for a dish called farrecchiata. A masterpiece.

Growing Instruction:

Plant as soon as soil can be worked in spring.

Space seeds 2” to 3” apart. To get the most out of a trellis, we recommend planting peas in a double row style.

Space the 2 rows 12” apart with the trellis going right down the middle.

Peas are a legume thus fix their own nitrogen so fertilizer should not be too rich or there will be too much foliage at the expense of pods. A well-balanced, well-cured compost and a sprinkle of wood-ash should be adequate. Make sure soil pH is between 5.8 and 6.9.

Harvest Instructions:

Let pods dry on the plant. Once dry harvest the whole plant and lay on tarps too thresh by treading underfoot. Winnow clean. Make sure seeds are dry before storing in airtight jars.