The popular culinary herb chives belongs botanically to the allium family, Latin for Allium. This plant family includes more than 300 different species and is widespread across the globe.
What types of chives are there?
There are different varieties of chives such as “Forescate”, “Elbe”, “Grolau”, “Profusion”, “Miro”, “Staro” and “Middleman”, which mainly differ in the thickness of the stalks and the taste, which can vary from mild to spicy.
Varieties differ in the thickness of the stalks
Within the leek family, there are a number of chive varieties that differ from each other primarily in the thickness of their stalks. Further differences also appear in the taste, which can be mild but also spicier. Incidentally, it is only chives if the plant is referred to by its botanical name “Allium schoenoprasum” - pay attention to this when buying, because the different types of the allium family are often confusingly similar. By the way, there are not only pink-violet-flowering chive varieties, but also strong pink or even white-flowering ones.
- “Forescate” has bright, strong pink and particularly large flowers. The stalks are long and quite coarse.
- “Elbe” is a very robust, white-flowering variety.
- “Grolau” is a Swiss variety with wide and very aromatic stalks.
- “Profusion” is sterile, i.e. H. does not develop seeds. The delicate flowers are wonderful for consumption.
- “Miro” is a very fine-tubed variety with a rather mild aroma. Perfect for freezing.
- “Staro” is rather coarse and bred primarily for fresh consumption. This variety can be easily preserved in s alt.
- “Middleman” is also rather coarse.
More delicious leeks
But the large Allium family still has a variety of wonderful flavors to offer. Do you like the aroma of garlic? Allium sativum, as it is called in botanical terminology, has a distinctive taste that is an integral part of both Mediterranean and Asian cuisine. However, its enjoyment is not entirely without consequences, which is why some people forego it. But you can enjoy the typical garlic taste without having to fear the strong smell that follows:
- Cut garlic (e.g. “Wagner’s Goblin”) is the solution. The annual herb is grown like chives. Here too, the stalks are harvested and processed.
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Wild garlic, also known as wild garlic or Allium ursinum, is also an excellent alternative to garlic.
Tips & Tricks
You're probably familiar with onions, garlic and leeks - but have you ever tried Japanese chives (Allium ledebourianum)? This variety is sometimes called Altai chives and looks very similar to our chives. This very fine-tubed variety is originally used for sushi and other Japanese delicacies.