Garlic Chives, also known as Chinese chives, Oriental garlic, Asian chives, and Chinese leeks, have green, flat, wide leaves and white star-shaped flowers at the top that are edible and bloom in the spring.
Unlike garlic, the bulb of garlic chives is actually inedible.
Very similar to your standard chive, but with a rich flavor that is often described as a mix of garlic and onion but less pungent than a clove of garlic.
Even Vincent Van Gogh was inspired by the beauty and flavor of Garlic chives, painting a simple still life of a pot of chives in 1887.
Garlic chives are rich in vitamin C, and contain carotene, vitamin B1 and B2, calcium, and iron.
Garlic chives can be used in both raw and cooked applications or used to finish dishes.
Pairs well with fresh herbs, soft cheeses, mushrooms, noodles, meats, and chilies.
Best stored in a container or bag in the refrigerator.
RECIPES
Chive Pancakes (Buchujeon)
7 ounces garlic chives/buchu
1.5 cups flour or GF flour
1 cup water
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
Clean chives and cut into 2 inch long pieces. Make batter by mixing flour, water, egg, salt and sugar. Whisk well until batter is smooth. In a mixing bowl, add chives and then pour batter but do it in gradual amounts to make sure you don’t have too much batter. Heat frying pan on medium high heat. Add 2 tsp of vegetable oil for a 10 inch pan. When oil moves around freely like water, when swirled, pour chive pancake mixture and spread it out with spatula on pan. A mistake you can make here is to make the pancake too thick. Cook for about 2 min or until about 70% of surface looks cooked. Turn it over and add another 1~2 tsp vegetable oil around the edges of the pan. Cook for another 2 min or so until nicely browned. Transfer pancake onto a cutting board and cut into squares or diamonds. You can also just serve it whole and allow people to just cut it at the table. (https://food52.com/recipes/68113-chive-pancakes-buchujeon)
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