Chapters 6.7

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Allium.jpg

Suggested citation for this chapter.

Huckle,J. (2022) Greens, Fleshy Stems and Gourds. In The Student Encyclopedia of Canadian Indigenous Foods. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.firstnationsfoods.org/

Product description

Chives, with the scientific name Allium schoenoprasum, are a type of plant that is closely related to onions, garlic, green onions, leeks, shallots, allium flowers, and more which can be seen because all of these mentioned plants are apart of the scientific genus Allium. There are three common varieties of this species of chives in North America, and their scientific names are var. schoenoprasum, var. sibiricum, and var. laurentianum (Tardif and Morisset, 1990). Chives appear as long, very thin green tubes, with a diameter of 2-6mm, and a full-grown length of about 25 to 30cm (Peter, 2012). They have very small, greyish brown bulbs at the bottom, and they produce pink to purple to white flowers in the late Spring, although they do not flower the first year after seeding. (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991; Peter, 2012). These flowers are also edible, although much less commonly (Peter, 2012). When any part of the plant is cut into, there is a distinctive onion-like odour (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991).

Indigenous consumption

The leaves, bulbs and flowers have been used in foods and flavourings in several Indigenous groups. (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). The Dene people in the Northwest Territories, specifically the Fisherman Lake Slave, used chives in boiled soups, or ate them raw with moose meat. The Woods Cree in Saskatchewan uses the chive leaves as flavouring with boiled fish, whereas the Chipewyan of Northern Saskatchewan used to boil the bulbs with fish. Chives are very popular among the Inupiaq Inuit in Alaska, who picked the young leaves in spring, and the bulbs in fall, and ate them in multiple ways including eating them raw with seal oil and meats, cooked in soups and stews, or cooked and eaten mixed with seal oil or butter. Lastly, the Tanaina Indians cooked both the bulbs and leaves in their soups or stews to add flavour. Chives were also dried for longer storage times or chopped up and layered among rock salt to keep them over winter (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991).

Geographic origins

Chives can be found growing naturally in the northern regions of North America in open, gravelly areas (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). They grow all across Canada including northern Ontario, northern Quebec, the Yukon, the prairie provinces, and Newfoundland and Labrador, although chives are not found in Prince Edward Island. They also grow as far south as Oregon and New England in the United States (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). Chives are the most widely distributed species in the Allium genus, as they are native to North America, Europe, and parts of Asia as well (Rabinowitch & Currah, 2002).

Benefits

Nutritional benefits

Chives have high levels of antioxidants in their leaves, and this is due to highly active antioxidant producing enzymes (Viña and Cerimele, 2009). They also contain many other nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Specifically, they are high in vitamin K, containing 4353IU/100g; and vitamin A, containing 212.77µg/100g (Singh et al., 2017). Chives contain chemical compounds called organosulfur compounds that have been thoroughly studied for their potential in preventing cancers and slowing the growth of tumours, specifically stomach and colorectal cancers, although the exact mechanisms aren’t quite known yet (Bianchini & Vainio, 2001).

Other benefits

Chives have insect-repelling properties, due to their onion-like scent, which makes them a common household plant for this reason (Singh et al., 2017). At the same time, the flowers that they produce are attractive to pollinating animals, such as bees, butterflies, and hoverflies (Singh et al., 2017).

Risks

There are little to no risks for humans eating chives, especially considering they are almost always eaten in small amounts at a time. However, digestive issues could occur following overconsumption (Singh et al., 2017). On the other hand, there are risks of eating chives for animals such as cats, dogs, and horses. Chives along with other Allium vegetables are poisonous to cats, dogs, and horses, and these animals should not consume them in any amount (Chives, n.d.).

References

1. Bianchini, F., & Vainio, H. (2001). Allium vegetables and organosulfur compounds: Do they help prevent cancer? Environmental Health Perspectives, 109(9), 893–894. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.01109893

2. Chives. ASPCA. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2021, from https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/chives

3. Kuhnlein, H. V., & Turner, N. J. (1991). Descriptions and Uses of Plant Foods by Indigenous Peoples. In Traditional Plant Foods of Canadian Indigenous Peoples: Nutrition, botany, and use (pp. 53). Gordon and Breach.

4. Peter, K. V. (2012). Handbook of herbs and spices (2nd ed., Vol. 1). Woodhead Publishing.

5. Rabinowitch, H. D., & Currah, L. (2002). Allium crop science: Recent advances. CABI Publishing.

6. Singh, V., Chauhan, G., Krishan, P., & Shri, R. (2017). Allium schoenoprasum L.: A review of Phytochemistry, pharmacology and Future Directions. Natural Product Research, 32(18). https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2017.1367783.

7. Tardif, B., & Morisset, P. (1990). Clinal morphological variation of allium schœnoprasum in eastern North America. TAXON, 39(3), 417–429. https://doi.org/10.2307/1223088.

8. Viña, S. Z., & Cerimele, E. L. (2009). Quality changes in fresh chives (allium schoenoprasum L.) during refrigerated storage. Journal of Food Quality, 32(6), 747–748.