Chives
Chives are the mildest member of the onion family, bringing a fresh, grassy bite to almost any dish.
In a nutshell
Chives are slender, hollow green herbs that taste like a gentle cross between onion and garlic. They’re almost always used raw or added at the last moment so their delicate flavor doesn’t cook away. A small handful can brighten everything from scrambled eggs to baked potatoes.
Nutrition
≈ 4 Calories and 0.1g fat per tablespoon.
Chives are surprisingly nutrient-dense for such a light herb. They’re a solid source of vitamin K, which supports bone health and blood clotting, and they deliver a meaningful amount of vitamin C and folate. Their deep green color signals the presence of lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants linked to eye health. Like other alliums, chives contain organosulfur compounds that have been studied for anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. With virtually no fat and very few calories, they add genuine nutritional value even when used in the small amounts typical in everyday cooking. Nutrition per 100 g.
Culinary uses & pairings
Chives shine brightest as a finishing herb. Snip them directly over soups, salads, deviled eggs, baked potatoes, sour cream dips, and cream-cheese spreads in the last seconds before serving. Their volatile flavor compounds dissipate quickly with heat, so the goal is almost always to keep them raw or barely warmed. For herb butter or compound sauces, stir chives in off the heat.
Beyond garnishing, chives pull real weight in cooked applications when used carefully. Fold them into omelets and scrambled eggs just before the pan comes off the heat, blend them into cold sauces like ranch dressing or tzatziki, or work them into mashed potatoes and potato salad. Chive blossoms—the purple flowers that appear in late spring—are edible and make a beautiful, mildly pungent garnish for salads and grain bowls.
Pairs well with
Substitutions
Buying & storage
Look for chives with bright, uniformly dark-green stems that stand up straight and snap cleanly rather than wilting or bending. Avoid bunches with yellowing tips, slimy spots, or a strong ammonia smell, which indicate age. Fresh-cut chives at a farmers’ market are often more pungent and flavorful than supermarket bunches, which are frequently harvested days earlier. Potted chive plants sold in the produce section are a smart buy if you cook with them regularly—they’ll keep producing on a sunny windowsill for weeks.
Types
- Common chives (Allium schoenoprasum): The standard supermarket variety with hollow, round stems and a mild onion flavor; produces edible purple blossoms in spring.
- Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum): Also called Chinese chives; flat rather than hollow stems, a noticeably garlicky bite, and white flowers; widely used in Asian cuisines.
- Siberian chives (Allium ledebourianum): Larger and more robust than common chives with a stronger flavor; less common in US markets but easy to grow at home.
Recipes using chives
144 recipes across our recipe sites use chives. A few favorites:
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History & origin
Chives are native to a wide swath of Europe and Asia and have been used in cooking for thousands of years. Their culinary use in China has been documented for well over 2,000 years, and Roman soldiers are believed to have carried them across Europe. They were among the first herbs cultivated in early American kitchen gardens—Thomas Jefferson grew them at Monticello—and by the 19th century they had become a standard fixture in European fine dining, particularly in the French fines herbes blend alongside parsley, tarragon, and chervil.
How it’s made
Chives are a perennial herb grown from seed or by dividing established clumps. They prefer well-drained soil, full to partial sun, and consistent moisture. In most US climates they die back in winter and return vigorously each spring. Commercial growers harvest by cutting the stems a couple of inches above the soil, which encourages dense regrowth; home gardeners can do the same with scissors every few weeks throughout the growing season. Because chives are almost always sold and used fresh, there’s no curing or processing involved—they go straight from the field or garden to the kitchen.
Good to know
- Common chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are the only Allium species whose native range spans both the Old World and the New World, with wild populations found across northern Europe, Asia, and North America.
- The purple blossoms of common chives are fully edible and can be separated into individual florets to scatter over salads for a mild onion flavor and a pop of color.
- In medieval Europe, bunches of chives were hung in doorways and windows under the belief that they would ward off evil spirits and disease.
- Chive plants are a natural pest deterrent in the garden—their sulfur compounds are said to repel aphids and other insects, making them popular companion plants for roses and carrots.
- Unlike most fresh herbs, chives do not have a woody stem or stalk that needs to be removed; the entire green top is tender and edible.
