What's the difference between peas in the UK and in the US? I grew up in Britain, where one of my standard meals (as a fussy eater with a number of allergies) was some form of meat with peas and mashed potato. Now I'm living in the US, and to my dismay the peas here taste completely different, and I'm trying to figure out why.

I don't think it's a brand difference; I'm wondering if it's in the variety of peas, or how the peas are treated after picking. I'd like to grow my own, if I could be sure I'd get the right results.

Here is a link to the product page for a representative sample. They seem to be being referred to now as "Garden peas", though I'm not sure if that's a description or a variety.

So, British and American chefs - what's the difference between peas on different sides of the Pond?
I've lived on both sides of the Atlantic and I've never noticed much difference in peas, but then I'm not a connoisseur. The UK generally has 2 kids of peas on sale on the store, regular peas (aka garden peas) and petit pois, which are smaller, younger peas. The petit pois are much sweeter than garden peas, which are bigger and less flavorful. I've never seen petit pois in the states as far as I can remember, but there are generally peas and "sweet peas", and sweet peas tend to be sweeter than regular peas. The UK also has a product called mushy peas where the peas are mashed up and served as more of a liquid - not as bad as it sounds, it can be tasty if done right. This would often be out of a can if served at home. 

As for how to get your peas how you like them I'd ask whomever makes dinner in your family what type of peas are used and how long they are cooked. People in the UK used to boil vegetables until they practically disintegrated but cuisine has improved dramatically in the past decade and nowadays it's much rarer to get that.