Chives
Allium schoenoprasum
Other names: chives, 香葱
Edible plantPhoto credit: Ivar Leidus / Wikimedia Commons
Safety information
Safety information
Toxicity: None known at culinary amounts. Large quantities of Allium can cause GI upset; Allium spp. cause Heinz-body haemolytic anaemia in dogs/cats (not humans).
Contraindications: None at food amounts. Caution with known Allium allergy. Pre-surgery: theoretical genus-level antiplatelet effect (clinically minor for these mild species).
Interactions: Genus-level theoretical additive effect with antiplatelet/anticoagulant drugs at high/medicinal intake; not significant at culinary doses.
Evidence level
Documented in systematic traditional medicine literature.
Preparations
edible-raw · leaf
Part used: leaf
Traditional use: culinary aromatic herb(Folk and historical sources have not been validated by clinical research.)
infusion · leaf
Part used: leaf
Traditional use: mild antimicrobial / appetite stimulant(Folk and historical sources have not been validated by clinical research.)
Proposed mechanism: organosulfur compounds
Associated conditions
Edibility
Edible parts: green tops, pseudostem/bulb (raw or cooked), flowers (garnish)
Toxic lookalike warning
Colchicum autumnale (autumn crocus), Convallaria majalis (lily-of-the-valley), Gagea — all lack onion smell and are toxic-to-deadly
Nutritional notes
Low calorie; good source of vitamin K, vitamin C, folate, vitamin A/carotenoids (green tops); organosulfur compounds (allicin, diallyl disulfide) and flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol)
Healing traditions
Sources (3)
- Green Onion (Allium fistulosum): An Aromatic Vegetable Crop Esteemed for Food, Nutritional and Therapeutic Significance (Foods/MDPI, 2023)
- Harnessing the nutraceutical and therapeutic potential of Allium spp. (Frontiers in Nutrition, 2024)
- Metabolism of Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity in Different Tissue Parts of Post-Harvest Chive (Allium schoenoprasum L.) (2024)