6 Major Benefits of Eating Chives in Spring
Even as spring chill lingers, tender chives arrive in our cuisine. Chives, also known as "yang-raising grass," are warm in nature and have the effect of tonifying the kidneys and yang. The spring weather is inconsistent, with alternating cold and warmth. It is recommended to eat more spring chives to dispel yin and cold. Moreover, in spring, the body's liver qi tends to be excessive, affecting the digestive and absorption functions of the spleen and stomach. Eating more spring chives can strengthen the spleen and stomach qi, benefiting liver function.
1. Appetite Enhancement
Chives contain plant-based aromatic volatile oils that can stimulate the appetite. The elderly, children, and pregnant women can benefit from their health by consuming some spring chives.
2. Aids Digestion
Chives have the effect of warming the body and strengthening the stomach. The crude fiber they contain can promote intestinal peristalsis, aiding human digestion. It not only helps prevent habitual constipation and colon cancer but can also wrap certain debris in the digestive tract and expel it with stool, earning it the folk name "intestinal cleanser grass."
3. Dispels Stasis and Invigorates Blood
Chives have the effects of dispelling stasis, invigorating blood, and detoxifying. They are beneficial for lowering blood lipids and preventing and treating coronary heart disease, anemia, and arteriosclerosis.
4. Antiseptic and Anti-inflammatory
The sulfur compounds in chives have certain antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effects. They can inhibit *Pseudomonas aeruginosa*, dysentery, typhoid, *E. coli*, and *Staphylococcus aureus*.
5. Skincare and Eye Health
Chives are rich in vitamin A. Eating more not only beautifies the skin, improves eyesight, and moistens the lungs but also reduces the risk of catching colds, chills, and asthma.
6. Tonifies Qi and Strengthens Yang
Ancient people called chives "yang-strengthening grass." It can help treat symptoms of kidney qi deficiency such as impotence, frequent urination, lower back pain, and weak legs.
How to Scientifically Pair Chives in Your Diet
Chives can be prepared in many ways: they can be the main ingredient in a simple stir-fry; they can be paired with eggs, shredded pork, or other ingredients for stir-frying, quick-frying, or sautéing; or they can be used as a filling for pastries and snacks, such as in dumplings, buns, potstickers, wontons, box-shaped pancakes, and spring rolls.
Chives are available year-round, but their texture varies greatly with the seasons: fragrant in spring, spicy in summer, bitter in autumn, and sweet in winter. Spring chives are the most tender and delicious, which is why they have long enjoyed the reputation of being "the first delicacy of spring."
As the saying goes, "Onions in the first month, chives in the second." Chives in the second lunar month are the most tender. Spring chives condense the essence of the entire winter. Nourished by spring rain, they sprout with the desire for life, stretching upwards争先恐后地向上伸展, standing gracefully in the early spring when the cold has not yet subsided. At this time, the chives have the best texture and the strongest aroma, making them ideal for eating.
How to Select Fresh Chives:
1. The cut at the root end should be neat. If you can hold the leaves at the root and they stand upright, it means they are very fresh. If a section has grown out from the root end, they are not fresh.
2. Chives can be broad-leafed or fine-leafed. Broad-leafed chives have a light green color and less fiber. Fine-leafed chives have long, slender, dark green leaves with more fiber and a stronger aroma. Yellow chives (jiuhuang) are grown in a greenhouse, with pale yellow leaves that are soft and tender but not as fragrant as regular chives.
Tips for Handling Chives:
Cleaning: The base of the chives where they were cut often has a lot of sand and is the hardest to clean. It's best to snip off a section of the roots and soak them in salt water for a while before washing.
Blanching: First, dip the root ends into boiling water (add a few drops of oil) for a quick blanch, then add the rest of the chives. Remove them once they turn a vibrant green and plunge them into cold water.
Storage: After tying the chives, wrap them in large cabbage leaves and store them in a cool, shaded place. This can keep them fresh for up to a week.