Chives like it rather cool and are widespread in subarctic and alpine areas throughout the northern hemisphere – especially in herb gardens. It is usually used fresh, but is also freeze-dried.

Characteristic are the knitting needle-like tubular leaves, which are finely chopped or cut with scissors, and are used in herb butter, sauces and various other herbal preparations. It is particularly important in French cuisine, e.g. in the Fines Herbes. Chives are also a must in the Frankfurt green sauce and on chive bread. It has the typical leek flavour, which is reminiscent of onions, with which it is closely related. But chives are milder than onions.

Because of its beautiful inflorescences, chives are also cultivated as an ornamental plant.

• Edible Leaves
• Culinary Group Kitchen Herbs
• Taste pungent
• Trivial Names Graslauch, Binsenlauch, Brislauch, Grusenich, Bergzwiebel, Jakobszwiebel, Jakobslauch, , Schnittling, Chives, Civette, Ciboulette, Erba cipollina, Cebolleta, Cebollino, Cebolla de hoja, Cebolla china, Ciboulette, Xonacatl
• Size 35 cm
• Taxonomy Amaryllidaceae (Amaryllis Family) Allium schoenoprasum
• Origin Circumpolar: Europe, Scandinavia, Siberia, East-Siberia, Eurasian Steppe, East-Asia, North America: Northeast & Sub-Arctic (Map)
• Donated by Gaby Försterling 2020