Fresh Produce (100g)
Product Code: HB05
Price: £1.39
Chinese Chives 100g
Thai Name: Bai gui chai kao
Chinese Chives are commonly known also as garlic chives and are used in a variety of different dishes. The herb has been part of Asian cuisine for centuries and is now making an impact on the rest of the world. The plant has a very strong smell which is similar to that of garlic hence the often referred to name of garlic chives.
The plant is used as both a herb and a vegetable while there are also very attractive flowers that grow from the plant. The flowers can also be used as a spice and the plant is prevalent in stir fried dishes. In Thailand the plant is called bai gui chai kao and it is used in pad thua ngawk kap gui chai which is stir fry bean sprouts with Chinese chives.
This is essentially a Chinese dish but it has grown in popularity with different variations in the Thai dish with the main ingredients being Chinese Chives, red spur chilies, garlic and soy sauce. The Thai version is usually more spicy with the Thai affection with chilies adding a lot of spice to the dishes. The plant can be cultivated by growing it under cover and they can be cooked as a vegetable before the flower opens.
These are sold at the market in bunches but they are a lot more expensive than the normal green chives. In China the leaves are commonly used as an ingredient in jiaozi dumplings while in Vietnam the leaves of the chives are the only vegetable in a soup of sliced pork kidneys and broth. The chives are generally more pungent than that of spring onions, for which they are sometimes mistaken, but they add a lot of taste when used in soups or in noodle dishes as well.
Product of Thailand
These are just some of the Thai recipes that it is used in:
Pad Thai
Thai Beef Salad
Seafood Salad
