Garlic Chives
Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum), also called Chinese chives or gau choy, are a different plant from common onion chives. The leaves are flat and wider rather than hollow and round, and the flavor is garlicky with only a faint onion note. They're a staple in Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean cooking, often used by the handful rather than sprinkled as a garnish.
Varieties
Garlic chives are a separate species from common chives (Allium schoenoprasum), not a garlic-flavored variety of the same plant. Regular chives have round, hollow, grass-like stems and taste mildly of onion; garlic chives have flat, solid leaves and taste of garlic with barely any onion flavor.
Buying tips
Look for flat, deep green leaves that are firm and unblemished, not limp or yellowing at the cut ends. Bundles with tightly closed flower buds attached are fine to use, buds and all; they're sold this way often at Asian grocery stores and taste slightly more floral.
Substitutes
Regular chives plus a small amount of minced garlic — 1:1 chives, plus 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic per tablespoon of garlic chives called for
Gets close to the flavor profile but lacks the flat-leaf texture; good for dumpling fillings and egg dishes where texture matters less.
Scallions (green parts) plus minced garlic — 1:1 scallion greens, plus 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic per tablespoon of garlic chives
A workable stand-in for stir-fries; add the garlic slightly earlier than you would garlic chives since raw minced garlic burns faster.
Garlic scapes, thinly sliced — 1:1
Closer in pungency and a similar green color, though scapes are firmer and take a bit longer to soften in a stir-fry.
Leek greens plus minced garlic — 1:1 leek greens, plus 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic per tablespoon
Mild and mellow; mince the leek finely since it's more fibrous than garlic chives.
Storage
Wrap unwashed garlic chives loosely in a paper towel, seal in a plastic bag or container, and refrigerate. They hold up about a week, longer than common chives, but check for slimy or yellowing tips after day five. For longer storage, chop and freeze in a single layer on a tray before transferring to a bag; they lose crispness but work fine in cooked dishes.
How to use
Cut into 1 to 2 inch lengths and add to stir-fries, dumpling and potsticker fillings, egg pancakes, and fried rice during the last minute or two of cooking. The flower buds and stems (garlic chive flowers) are also stir-fried whole as a vegetable in their own right. Because the leaves are sturdier than onion chives, they hold up to actual cooking rather than just garnishing.
What it pairs with
Pairs naturally with pork, shrimp, and egg in dumplings and stir-fries, and with sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Works well folded into scallion-pancake-style batters and Korean pajeon.
Nutrition
Garlic chives provide vitamin K, vitamin C, and some vitamin A, along with allicin-related sulfur compounds similar to garlic, though in much smaller amounts per serving since they're used as an aromatic vegetable rather than a bulb.
FAQ
Can I use garlic chives in place of regular chives?
Not directly for a mild onion garnish; the flavor is noticeably garlicky and the leaves are flatter and chewier. They work better in cooked dishes than as a raw finishing herb on eggs or potatoes.
Do garlic chives taste like garlic and onion combined?
Mostly garlic, with only a faint onion background. Raw, the flavor is sharper; cooked briefly, it mellows into something closer to sautéed garlic with a green, vegetal edge.
What are the white or yellow buds sometimes attached to the stems?
Those are unopened flower buds, sold and cooked as garlic chive flowers. They're slightly more fibrous at the base and are typically trimmed and stir-fried whole alongside the leaves.
Can garlic chives be grown at home?
Yes, they're a perennial that spreads readily from seed or division and tolerates partial shade better than most alliums. Established clumps can be cut back to about an inch above soil and will regrow within two to three weeks.
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