In the second lunar month, chives are at their best: white-stemmed chives are tender, while green-stemmed chives are pungent and full of flavor.

Whether stir-fried with shredded pork, added to noodles, or cooked with eggs, chives are a great companion, and pork and chive dumplings are indispensable. But did you know that white-stemmed chives have a softer, more tender texture, while green-stemmed chives taste more pungent? As the saying goes, "green onions in the first lunar month, chives in the second," and in the second lunar month chives are truly "in season," tender and sweet!

Ji'an white-stemmed chives in Hualien: more tender in texture, with long white stems

In areas that mainly grow chives for their edible leaves, including Puyan in Changhua, Daxi in Taoyuan, and Ji'an in Hualien, although all use the Luzon variety, each has its own distinctive texture. Ji'an chives are characterized by longer white stems, reaching more than 5 cm, along with fine fibers, a tender texture, and large leaves, while the overall length is shorter. Ji'an chive farmer Li Youzhang explains that in the Ji'an area, when the chives grow to 10 to 20 cm, wood shavings are spread over the roots, which makes the white stems longer. "Stir-fried white stems taste sweeter and are deeply loved by consumers, so Ji'an is famous for its long white stems."