Flat, dark green and more robustly flavoured than regular chives, garlic chives bring a gentle garlic character alongside their mild onion freshness that makes them a staple of Chinese, Japanese and Korean cooking. Once you cook with them regularly they earn a permanent place in the fridge. Use them as the herb and the flavour in one. Fold through a dumpling filling of pork or prawn where they are irreplaceable, toss through a stir fry in the last minute of cooking, scatter over a bowl of noodle soup, use as a bed for pan fried tofu or fish, or fold through softly scrambled eggs for a simple breakfast with genuine character. They are best used fresh or added at the very end of cooking to preserve the flavour and the colour. Heat diminishes both quickly. Look for flat dark green stems that are firm and upright with no yellowing or wilting. A fresh bunch smells clean and gently garlicky. Available year-round with reliable quality.
