Also known asChinese Chives · Kuchai · Nira · Allium tuberosum · 韭菜
Name: Chinese chives, also called Oriental garlic chives or jiucai (Allium tuberosum). The same plant is also sold as garlic chives, described on its own page, and comes in green-leaf, flowering-stem and blanched yellow forms.
Description
Chinese chives are native to south-western China and have been grown in East Asia for thousands of years. They are a staple of Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Southeast Asian cooking, where the flat, grass-like leaves, tender flower stalks and the pale yellow, light-deprived shoots (jiuhuang) are each used in different dishes.
The leaves have a flavour between garlic and onion, which is stronger than ordinary chives, and they hold up better to cooking. They are a classic filling for dumplings, savoury pancakes and egg dishes.
Main nutrition value
Chinese chives provide vitamin K, vitamin C, folate and some beta-carotene, along with sulphur compounds typical of the allium family.
How best to be consumed
Chinese chives are used both cooked and fresh.
- Chop into dumpling, pancake and spring roll fillings with pork, prawn or egg.
- Stir-fry briefly with eggs, tofu or noodles, adding at the end so they stay bright.
- Use the flower stalks as a crisp stir-fry vegetable in season.
- Sprinkle raw over soups, noodles and salads as a garnish.
- Store wrapped in the fridge and use within a few days.
Overconsumption could cause…
Chinese chives are safe in food amounts.
- Allergic reactions or skin irritation in a small number of people sensitive to alliums.
- Bloating, gas or heartburn, since alliums contain fermentable carbohydrates (fructans) that bother many people with IBS.
- Possible effects on blood clotting from their vitamin K for people on warfarin, so keep intake steady.
- Stomach irritation or bad breath from large amounts.
Wikipedia — Allium tuberosum, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_tuberosum
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