A sugar snap pea (also known as the snap pea) was created by crossing the garden pea with the snow pea. Unlike the snow pea, they are rounded. Many of the varieties have a string in them that peels away easily and they have a sweet flavor. And yes, you can eat the pea whole, it is entirely edible although you may wish to peel away the string first and remove any hard stem piece; also, always wash before eating. They can be eaten raw or cooked (steaming is best).