Yes. Southern peas are more like dried beans. A thing to do on a summer's evening is for the ladies to sit on the front porch and shell peas, the pods are dried and crack open easily. You do this while listening to the cicadas. Ive noticed a few peas that can be found in the freezer case: black eye, cream, crowder, but more often they are with the dried beans in cellophane sacks. Peas can also be found in cans, already cooked. No you don't eat the pods, they are dried, the peas shell out easily once you crack the seam between your thumb and forefinger. Then you take all the pods and dump them in the chicken yard. Ive never heard of anyone eathing Southern peas fresh, as you would "English peas" or the Asian edible podded peas.
An essential recipe for New Years eve is "hoppin john":
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/H...
