Known as common garden chives, Allium schoenoprasum, can be grown indoors and out. They are one of the earliest herbs to come up in spring and an attractive garden plant and versatile herb in the kitchen. Chives are rich in vitamins A and C, potassium, and calcium. Chives are one of 300 species of Allium, which is in the Lily family. They are closely related to garlic, onions, shallots, leeks and garlic chives. Though the leaves off all these plants have the distinctive onion smell, the flowers do smell like their sweeter lily relatives. They are grown for the flavour of their leaves, which is reminiscent of onion, although much milder. Both the stems and light purple flowers are used in cooking and the snipped leaves are an addition to many dishes. Chives lose their flavour with long cooking so it is best to add them to dishes at the last minute. For chopping stems, a pair of scissors is the best tool.
