The Difference Between Green Onions and Chives
October 2, 2008
I always wondered what the difference was between green onions (scallions) and chives, as people used them interchangeably when asking to have them held from their loaded baked potato - me working as a waiter at the illustrious Roadhouse Grill at the time (my store closed in late 2005, while the rest of the company filed for bankruptcy in 2007 and was liquidated. Was I the cause of the downfall? Maybe.). To satisfy my curiosity I finally investigated the difference between chives and green onions.
First, they are different things, a fact I was unsure of given the already doubly-named green onion. Second, they are related, sharing the genus Allium. You may remember this genus from such foods as onions and leeks.
Green onions, however, are slightly larger and are grown more for their small white bulb (some green onions not being able to grow a full bulb, while some are early-harvested onions) than their green stem, though the green stem is certainly still edible. Chives are grown as an herb. Their bulb is inedible, but the green stem is snipped and used as a garnish on various foods.
Their flavor is (reportedly) slightly different, though I don’t have the experience to make a judgment on that. What about you, O loyal readers, do you use chives and scallions in different circumstances?
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October 2nd, 2008 at 2:34 pm
The only time I have used chives so far was when they were called for in this salad:
http://aloshaskitchen.blogspot.com/2008/09/sometimes-pictures-just-take-themselves.html
And having made it a couple of times, I can tell you I don’t think the scallions would have been a good idea by comparison. The taste is just slightly different, but more importantly the size and texture are different enough that it would have thrown off the combination.
I wonder if other people use one or the other for that reason rather than the taste.
October 2nd, 2008 at 8:49 pm
I definitely use chives and green onions differently. When I want a fine raw onion flavor, I like to use chives. They’re not as strong, in my opinion, as the green variety (and certainly not as strong as yellow onions). As someone who is not fond of the raw onion flavor in the first place, I want the mildest possible when using them. I especially love chives in korean chive pancakes.
That said, my husband loves green onions. And I buy and use them–particularly in a peanut sauce I frequently make for quick asian noodles. I DON’T like chopped green onion thrown raw into soups, etc. Maybe it’s the O shape that is off-putting–there’s something about it’s uncooked texture that I dislike. I can’t completely explain it–it’s just my wierd onion thing, I suppose!
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Thanks for the opinions. I’ll definitely need to try chives soon to taste the difference.
October 23rd, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Thanks for the post, I was RIGHT and my Girlfriend was wrong. HA HA (this is the usually the case)
November 4th, 2008 at 10:56 am
I use both in my cooking - they both have their place! Green onions/scallions have a stronger, more onion-y flavor and are great in dishes such as Chicken Enchilada Casserole, and Guy Fieri’s Oak Town Garlic Vinegar Chicken. Chives are much milder, and we love them in Chicken Kiev. In a pinch, you can substitute, but reduce the amount of green onions and increase the amount of chives! Happy eating!