It looks like an onion chive but tastes more like garlic. Garlic chives may also be referred to as Chinese chives and were first recorded between 4,000-5,000 years ago in China. So, what are garlic chives and how do they differ from common chives?
The scientific name of allium tuberosum is indicative of garlic chives’ "oniony" roots. Unlike onions or other types of garlic, however, the fibrous rhizome of garlic chives is not edible. They are grown for their flowers, stems and beauty. It is easy to differentiate between onion chives and garlic chives. Garlic chives have a flat, grass-like foliage unlike the round and hollow leaves of onion or common chives. They grow between 30-38 millimetres (12 to 15 inches) tall and have white florets at maturity.
Garlic chives can be planted among other crops like carrots, zucchini, and tomatoes. They help to deter pests such as Japanese beetles, scab on apples, and mildew on cucurbits. They prefer well drained, nitrogen rich soils, and are quite drought tolerant. Garlic chives can be harvested in bud or in bloom. Clear cut the stems and leave about 5-10 millimetres above the soil surface. Rhizomes should be split every three years.
Garlic chives can also be used as bedding plants, but be sure to cut them back before the white florets go to seed, otherwise they will spread aggressively.
Garlic chives have a multitude of culinary uses, especially in Asian inspired cuisine. They are beneficial to the digestive system, stimulate appetites, promote blood circulation, and have diuretic properties.