Chives are one of the most favorite ingredients or garnish to a lot of food around the world. Its scientific name is Allium Schoenoprasum, which is part of the allium family that is a type of vegetable and herbs.
Chives are a cousin of garlic, scallions, leeks, and a very close relative to onions. Chives are the smallest member of the allium family and the only species which is native to the old and the new worlds which makes it more fascinating. Its name comes from the word cepa or onion, and it turned into cive in French, thus it eventually turned to chives in English.
For many millenniums, chives have been harvested from the wild because of its great abundance, however, for the past centuries; it has been farmed, cultivated and harvested in massive numbers in farms.
Chives grow in clusters and their blade-like leaves grow straight upward. Its leave is hollow and always comes to a point. Chives can grow up to two feet tall in the best conditions, and can even spread up to 12-inches around. It has a mild oniony flavor that does not intend to leave a long after taste. Chives are best described as globular a spiky, pinkish-purple flower that blooms every early summer each year. Its flowers are also edible and can be shared the same mild oniony taste as well.
There are some varieties of chives that have white and red flowers. Chives can be harvested year-round that is why you can perennially find it almost every kitchen household because of its abundancy. Chives or others call as onion chives are not similar to the garlic variety. They are members of the lily family which has the same genus as onions.
When it comes to nutrition, chives are known for its sulfur, phosphorus, iron, and calcium content. It also contains high amounts of potassium, vitamins A and C along with phytonutrients that are great for your digestive system and your blood circulation which has the same health benefits of garlic.
Chives are not just for garnishing and an additional ingredient of your favorite dish. In fact, it has a lot of health benefits that is why you should encourage yourself to incorporate it into your dishes the next time you cook.
Usually, chives are added at the end of each cooking process because it loses its flavor when it is overheated, especially during long hours of cooking. So it is best that it is topped to dishes as a garnish, instead of the main ingredient.