It’s Farm Fact Friday once again, everyone! This week we’re talking about something you may find often growing on the outskirts of the farm, the very fragrant garlic chive! It’s delicious, requires less preparation in meals than garlic, and easy to regrow. They’re great in stir fry, stews, and with meat, eggs, seafood, and even specialty butter. They’ve been a part of Chinese cuisine for over 3,000 years, and it’s easy to see why they’re so loved.
Garlic chives actually have a history of being used for herbal medical purposes as well as in Chinese cuisine, having once been used on bug bites and small cuts, as an antidote to some poisons, a remedy for internal parasites, and for helping with digestive problems. They’re also chock full of vitamin A and C, as well as fiber, iron, calcium, and potassium, so they can be a healthy addition to your diet (especially as a replacement for garlic for those who struggle with acid reflux).
Garlic chives can handle sun well, and can deter some pests which make them an easy-to-care-for and tasty addition to gardens. They do have a limited shelf life after being cut from the plant, but with proper storage or allowing them to regrow, they can last longer.
Additional sources here, here, and here.
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