Chives Allium
schoenoprasum
Described once by a famous food historian
as the "oboe" to the "cornet,"
of the onion family, as a way of defining its taste,
chives are northern hemisphere natives. One theory
suggests that chives originated in Siberia, traveling
to the Americas before reaching Europe. They grow
both wild and domesticated and all chives thrive from
being cut. Their pungent green stems are usually used
finely chopped as a garnish.
Growing
Chives
Don and Becky Kretschmann
crouch down with chives in one of the fields on their
60-acre farm, 35 miles north of Pittsburgh. They run
a large CSA wtih 33 drop-off locations in the Pittsburgh
area. The also formed a wholesale cooperative of 5
area growers in 2002. They grow greens, herbs, vegetables
and fruit for CSA, farmers' markets, restaurants and
wholesale. (photo
source)
Chives thrive in well drained soil,
rich in organic matter, with a pH of 6-7 and full
sun.
Chives can be grown from seed when
mature in summer, or early the following spring. Typically,
chives need to be germinated at a temperature of -10
°C to -20 °C and kept moist. They can also
be planted under a cloche or germinated indoors in
cooler climates, then planted out later. After at
least four weeks, the young shoots should be ready
to be planted out. Some prefer to replant the small
clump of chives available in plastic pots at some
markets, thus avoiding unnecessary work with sowing
seeds and cloche cultivation.
In the winter, chives die back to
the underground bulbs, with the new leaves appearing
in early spring. Chives starting to look old can be
cut back to about 2-5 cm; this length is also preferred
when harvesting, making the unattractive yellowing
appear close to the ground, so that the plant can
retain its aesthetic value.
Cooking
with Chives
Chives are grown for their leaves,
which are used for culinary purposes as condiment,
which provide a somewhat milder flavour than its neighbouring
Allium species.
Chives have a wide variety of culinary
uses, such as in traditional dishes in France and
Sweden, among others. In his 1806 book Attempt at
a Flora (Försök til en flora), Retzius describes
how chives are used with pancakes, soups, fish and
sandwiches. It is also an ingredient of the gräddfil
sauce served with the traditional herring dish served
at Swedish midsummer celebrations. The flowers may
also be used to garnish dishes.
Chives are one of the "fines
herbes" of French cuisine, which also include
tarragon, chervil and/or parsley.
Chives can be found fresh at most
markets year-round, making it a readily available
spice herb; it can also be dry-frozen without much
impairment to its taste, giving home-growers the opportunity
to store large quantities harvested from their own
garden.
(photo
source)
Other
Uses
Chives have been cultivated in Europe
since the Middle Ages, although signs of its usage
date back to 5000 years ago.
The Romans believed chives could
relieve the pain from sunburn or a sore throat. They
believed that eating chives would increase blood pressure
and acted as a diuretic.
Romanian Gypsies have used chives
in fortune telling.
It was believed that bunches of dried
chives hung around a house would ward off disease
and evil.
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