Chives

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are a member of the Allium family, which includes leeks, onions and garlic. This particular species—the only one of this family to inhabit both the Old World and the Americas—is named from the Greek word that means, “rush” or “leek.” Like its botanical cousins, the herb presents itself in clumps grown from hills. However, the chive plant is usually the first herb to appear in spring and one of the last to succumb to winter’s grasp. The purple flowers, which resemble purple pom-poms, also possess sulfur compounds. While bees find them very appealing, predatory insects do not.

Although the flowers can be used to flavor breads, vinegars and cordials, people are generally more interested in the slender stems of the plant, which impart a mild onion-like flavor. Chives are a component of French fines herbes, usually bundled together in a bouquet garni with chervil, parsley and tarragon to season soups and stews. Chives are also used to flavor cheeses, most notably traditional Polish twaróg, a soft product also known as quark cheese. In Sweden, chives are added to gräddfil, a sauce with a consistency similar to sour cream that is traditionally served with herring. Chives are also featured in French cuisine, often paired with savory herbs and added to omelets, sauces, breads, vinegars and vegetable dishes. In the U.S., chives can usually be found floating in a pool of butter or sour cream atop a baked potato, or blended with cream cheese as a spread for breads and crackers.

In terms of medicinal value, chives contain several organic compounds combined with sulfur, which exhibit health benefits similar to those attributed to garlic. One compound, methyl alliin, is reputed be antihelminthic, which means it kills intestinal worms and other parasites. In fact, this is the traditional use of the herb. It is also interesting to note that the ancient Romans consumed chives to lower blood pressure and enhance circulation since recent research shows that alkyl sulfoxides obtained from allium species demonstrate lipid-lowering effects. There is also evidence to suggest that alliin compounds may produce antioxidant and anti-angiogenesis effects, meaning they counter free radicals and prevent new cell formation in cancerous growths.