ABSTRACT
Chinese chive is native to Asia temperate and widely cultivated crop in temperate and subtropical regions of Asia, Australia, Europe and America. It was introduced mainly by the Chinese into other Asiatic countries, including North India. Since ancient times, many Allium species such as onion, garlic, leek and chives have been used as food, spices and herbal remedies in widespread areas of the world, especially in the northern hemisphere. Chinese chive is a valuable source of minerals and vitamins. It is known to be low in fat and calorie but relatively high in carbohydrates, protein and dietary fibre. The leaves of Chinese chive are consumed as raw, cooked, pickled, or in processed form. The sun-dried petioles, leaves and flower parts are used as a spice for flavouring food items during off-season. Chinese chive has a distinctive growth habit with strap-shaped leaves unlike either onion or garlic and straight thin white-flowering stalks that are much taller than the leaves.
