Chinese Chives (Allium tuberosum)

Chinese chives, widely used in China, are related to common chives and are of the garlic family. Their taste is stronger and more garlic-like than our chives and their flowers can be used as well as the blades. They have an earthy, onion taste and are delicious by themselves or cooked with other foods. Chinese chives can be found in Chinese markets but they are very easy to grow in home herb gardens. Look for wide flat blades and sprays of white, star-shaped flowers. They can be substituted for regular chives but adjust the quantity to allow for their . stronger flavour. Rinse and dry the chives, store them in slightly damp kitchen paper inside a plastic bag in the refrigerator and use as soon as possible. Chinese yellow chives are Chinese chives which have been grown in the dark and are pale and have a more subtle flavour than the green Chinese chives. In China they are used extensively, especially in restaurants, but are hard to find in the West. Select the freshest leaves possible. Trim any decaying parts. Wash and dry thoroughly and store between sheets of kitchen paper in the lower part of your refrigerator for only one or two days, as they are highly perishable. They have a rich, earthy taste and flavour - yet are delicate and fragile at the same time.