What Do Chives Taste Like? What Do They Smell Like?

In this article, we’ll answer a bunch of your common questions about chives. This includes the common: What Do Chives Taste Like?

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Let’s get to the chives…

What Do Chives Taste Like?

Chives taste similar to raw onions, although much more mild.When eaten in their raw form (which is missed common) the onion-like flavor is much more pronounced, but cooking chives in a dish or adding them to a sauce greatly dampens their flavor.

When you garnish a dish with chives, they add a “pop” of flavor to whatever you’re eating and aren’t at all overpowering.

Chives don’t have as pungent an aftertaste as an onion and won’t linger in the mouth unless you eat a whole lot of them. 

Texture of Chives

Whether they are fresh or dried, chives will always have a slight crunch.Dried chives are slightly more crumbly when you bite them while fresh chives have more of that fresh snap that you’re probably familiar with from things like snap peas.

The thinner chives are sliced, the less noticeable the texture will be.Chives that are sliced very thinly almost melt in your mouth.

You Might Also Like: What Do Cloves Taste Like?

What Do Chives Smell Like?

Chives smell a lot like they taste.The aroma they have is like an onion, but a bit more mild and less pungent with a slight herb-like scent.

Read Also: What Do Collard Greens Taste Like?

What Do Chives Go Well With?

Aside for sweet dishes, chives go well with about pretty much anything warm and savory.Try garnishing the following with chives to add a pop of complex flavor…

• Mashed or baked potatoes
• Soups and stews
• Grains, rice or pasta dishes
• Sauces (add chives to a serving dish of soy sauce for extra flavor)
• Sandwiches
• Baked or fried tofu
• Baked into breads

Here are a few other interesting ways to use chives…

Recommended Article: What Do Edamame Taste Like?

Potato Fry with Chives

With just a few basic ingredients, you can transform a basic white potato into an aromatic and flavorful dish thanks to chives and other spices. You’ll need…

• Potatoes
• Chives
• Tomatoes
• Ginger
• Cumin
• Turmeric

Chives Inside Dumplings

If you have some basic wonton wrappers handy, you can stuff chives with some veggies or mock meats into a dumpling.Try experimenting with some Asian-style veggies including…

• Red cabbage
• Bamboo shoots
• Straw mushrooms

Further Reading: What Do Fava Beans Taste Like?

Inside Homemade Cream Cheese

While this recipe calls for cultured hemp hearts, you can use chives inside any sort of homemade cream cheese.Consider adding it to the following for a similar effect…

• Blended cashew cream with lemon
• Coconut or almond milk yogurt

What Can You Substitute for Chives in a Recipe?

If you can’t find any chives, try using the following ingredients as substitutes…

• Scallions or green onions (raw)
• Red onions sliced thin (raw)
• Leeks (cooking recommended)

Wrap Up

That’s it!

Now that you’ve learned all about how chives taste – why not get out there and give some a try?

Keeping some dried chives handy in your fridge or pantry can quickly transform a basic dish to something fancy and memorable.

If you aren’t too skilled with a knife, consider getting afood chopperto cut up chives quickly and easily.

Related Article: What Do Hazelnuts Taste Like?

Joey Bruno

Hey, I’m Joey. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid and love everything about it. You can find my writing about food, kitchen appliances (such as blenders) and much more. Thanks for stopping by!