Dried Chives

Chives are the smallest members of the onion family. Dried Chives, a delicate herb, brings the essence of mellow onion to a dish, both in flavor and aroma. There is a very small amount of volatile oils in Dried Chives, hovering around .03% by weight. The oils are a combination of various sulphuric acid compounds; these are the compounds that provide the onion family with their distinctive taste and odor, though in chives there’s not enough to make you cry. Chives are the only onion not desired for its bulb. Chives are, instead, grown for their scapes—the slender, flowering stems that rise from the bulb, which are also called blades. Air-drying allows the fragile, hollow chive blades to retain their color, texture and freshness, so our Dried Chives are a shelf-stable way to enjoy their delicate flavor.

Chives are indigenous to Asia, Europe and North America, and is the only species of Allium native to both the Old and New Worlds. They have been cultivated since the Middle Ages—the 5th through the 15th centuries—but there is written history of their usage dating back almost 5000 years. As with many spices, colorful legends developed around the gentle chive. It is said that Romanian Gypsies used chives in fortune telling by throwing the blades in the air and interpreting the patterns once they fell. It was also believed that hanging dried chive bunches outside of a house would ward off evil and disease, and ancient Romans believed eating chives would alleviate the pain of a bad sunburn.

Tips From Our Kitchen

Dried Chives are an easy and colorful way to add a light onion touch to a large variety of dishes. Because they are so thin and delicate, they should only be added at the end of cooking. Even the smallest amount of moisture rehydrates Dried Chives and the flavor blends seamlessly with creamy dishes. Stir into sour cream, cottage cheese, or cream cheese for a garden flavor, or mix with butter and salt for an herbal compound butter. Top omelets, hollandaise sauce, or any vegetable gratin with chives; they work particularly well over gratineed cauliflower.

Please consider when ordering that Dried Chives are very lightweight, with approximately 19 cups of Dried Chives per pound.

To substitute Dried Chives for fresh, 1 Tablespoon fresh equals 1 teaspoon dried. If your recipe calls for fresh chive blades, 10 chive blades equals approximately 1 teaspoon of Dried Chives.

Our Dried Chives are cultivated in China.

This product is certified kosher.

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