h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've often wondered what sort of peas you take for your mushy peas (and what exactly mushy peas are in the first place).

So, turns out it's just dried peas, the same we use to make pea soup.

I have to admit that it does sound bland and like a waste of lovely peas (not to mention all the preparation time) much better used for a delicious pea soup.

I was put off trying them, for years, when I was younger; Just because of the way they look... Which, is, really... quite disgusting
I was then really put off them, by having really cheap, horrible, badly made versions of them from takeaways/fish N chip shops
I didn't really enjoy them at all, until maybe three years ago, when I tried a 'pie and mushy peas', from a stall on a market; Which I later found out to be the longest continueal running mushy pea stall, in the country still run by the same family

Flavour wise... I find them really earthy and substantial tasting... sort of earthy like lentals or dried beans which one uses in cooking... and because of that, maybe even slightly towards 'meaty' in a strange way (in the same sort of way I always think of bulghur wheat as having a sort of meat aspect to either its flavour or taste or scent or texture or soemthing)

I'm guessing pea soup, made with the dried peas, or mushy peas, really, are sort of the same; Just variations in the amount of liquid in the final product, maybe...

One day I'll have some and and mushy peas.