The Basics

• The peas you enjoy in your summertime garden are relatively tender and sweet, but left on the vine they'll become starchier as they mature. Those fully matured peas, dried for long storage, are the base of wasabi peas. They're first reconstituted in water and then partially dehydrated again, so they're dry but not as rock-hard as they were in their fully dried form. Then they're either deep-fried or slow-roasted with a small amount of oil, and coated with a mixture of salt and dried wasabi powder. The end result is a light, crisp, crunchy, salty, spicy treat that always tempts you to take "just one more handful."