Birdies Peas

annie1 · Post by **annie1** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 8:08 am

Hi

I am filling a memory box for my mother, which I hope to have finished for christmas, as a child brought up in Kincardineshire, she remembers eating "Birdies Peas", now I have googled and only found one persons memories about this but no description.
I wonder if anyone knows what this was, they were growing wild in the country, thats all I know.
I cant ask my mother too much,as I want it to be a surprise.

momat · Post by **momat** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:25 am

"Bird's Eye Peas."
Same name as the tins of Custard Powder and other products.
I think they came in tins , now they come Frozen.

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 2:23 pm

Maybe it's a local name variation of some other plant starting with Bird. The B page of this "Scottish plant uses" site is here http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/celtica/dbase/common/B.HTM Could it be bird cherry or something shaped a bit like a pea? If you google search each of the bird plants you'll probably get photos and something might click. I know nothing about Scottish plants.

An advanced Google search of that site also brings up references to Cat Peas and Mice Peas so you could have a look at the C and M pages as well. Maybe the Cat Peas missed the Mice Peas and ate the Bird Peas.

The last part of the next page seems to be touching on your area of interest (it's actually a Word document) http://www.scuilwab.org.uk/PTNotes/PTMiddle/Plants.doc

Alan

annie1 · Post by **annie1** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 6:23 pm

Hi

Thank you for this Alan, I will try the sites, I know it was a wild plant or seed and that it was dark in colour, it probably was just a name that the children gave them, but I was hoping someone could recall them as a child.
Ann

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 8:40 pm

Hi Ann
I was brought up in the East Lothian countryside which is not too far away and the only thing resembling peas when I was young were Laburnum pods which, of course are a poisonous No NO!!

I used to wander the countryside all day during the school holidays and ate what we could find from nature. Brambles (Blackberries to non-Scots) Tiny sharp wild raspberries, wild sorrel, dandelion leaves, turnips (swedes actually) pinched from the edges of the field. Roast potatoes if we had a fire. Damper if we remembered to pinch some flour and salt. Wild strawberries were a delicious dessert when you could find enough.

Sorry I can't help

Russell

Post by **emanday** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 8:55 pm

Hi Ann,

This site http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/corpus/ ... entid=1376 has the phrase "We used to eat birdies peas and sourocks" a fair bit down the page.

There is a "Contact" button at the top of the page. Why not give them a try, they might be able to help.

CatrionaL · Post by **CatrionaL** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:01 pm

Hi Annie

You say they were dark in colour. Could they have been Elderberries? The birds loved them. Some folks made a homemade wine with them.

Best wishes

Catriona

Isabel H · Post by **Isabel H** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:16 pm

I see the ref. online comes from the Arbuthnot Reminiscence Group at the Grassic Gibbon Centre, Arbuthnott. Perhaps someone there could tell you what they are. The address is:
The Grassic Gibbon Centre,
Arbuthnott,
Laurencekirk,
AB30 1PB
Telephone 01561-361668

Isabel

annie1 · Post by **annie1** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 10:03 pm

Hi

Thank you all for your suggestions, I am going to try the Arbuthnot Group, I hadn't noticed a contact number.
I do remember my mother telling me about wild sorrel, I think she called it sourocks? and as a sweet treat they ate the molasas, not sure of spelling! which was like treacle, meant for feeding the cattle!! Oh well, she has always been healthy.

Ann

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 10:15 pm

Hi Ann

Molasses was actually treacle although what we buy now is more refined.
they used to mix it with bran or chopped hay as additional winter feeding for the cows or to fatten them up for market if the fields were not well enough grassed. Pigs used to get it too along with all the household scraps. They loved it. I still love it in the shop bought variety.
I have an old metal match box which has advertising for 'The United Molasses Company' which shows a naked lady reclining against a large, well-fed pig. Shades of Goya's 'Maja Unclothed' painting.

Sheep were fed with chopped up swedes and allowed to browse on the kale stalks once the greenery had been cut.
Now you have to pay nearly a pound for a tiny swede to go with your haggis and tatties.

Russell
P.S. if someone offers you home made elderberry wine don't overdo it. It can be powerful stuff. Tasty though.