Common name: Garlic chives, Chinese leeks, Chinese chives • Manipuri: মরোঈ নকুপ্পী Maroi nakuppi
Botanical name: Allium tuberosum Family: Alliaceae (onion family)
This Asian beauty is sometimes called Perennial Chinese Chives or Chinese
leeks or even just leek. While not the true leek, this is probably a reference
to their blades which resemble little leek leaves. A more beautiful lily
there has never been. For lovers of garlic, this certainly holds true. The
subtle garlic flavor of Garlic Chives are perfect for use in uncooked dishes
where raw regular garlic might be overwhelming or too spicy. Garlic chives is
an allium grown for its leaves, and not its little bulb. The finely chopped
blades are great added to stir-frys and egg dishes. Called
maroinakuppi in Manipuri, garlic chives are very popular in Manipuri
cooking. The tough, fibrous bulb is elongate and originates from a stout
rhizome (underground stem) The gray-green leaves are flat and grasslike, to
15 in long, and about 0.3 in wide. The plant grows in a clump
and the leaves bend down under their own weight. The showy inflorescence
stands above the leaf clump on 1-2 ft stalks and consists of a
rounded umbel, 2 in across, with many small creamy white, star-shaped,
fragrant flowers. Each perianth segment (petal and sepal) has a brown stripe.
The unique flavor of garlic chives is both sweet and garlicky. Several
cultivars are available in Asia, including some grown for the flower stalks,
which are also eaten.
| Photographed in the Garden of Five
Senses, Delhi. |
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