Korean Chive (Buchu / Garlic Chive)

Health Benefits

The old record: gu and gi-yang-cho. The Donguibogam lists Korean chive in its vegetable section, and older writings preserve the nickname gi-yang-cho, roughly the plant that raises the yang. The name carries an old idea of the plant as one that warms the body. This is a record from an old medical text and an old name, not a judgment that holds today.

Today's view: as far as composition. Several analyses confirm that organosulfur compounds and flavonoids such as quercetin can be detected in Korean chive. The antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of those compounds, however, has mostly been measured on extracts in the laboratory, conditions that differ from eating the food. Whether the same occurs in a person eating chive at the table has not been established.

Studies on the genus, and this one species. Observational studies covering Allium vegetables in general, garlic and onion included, are numerous, but their results diverge from study to study. Those conclusions cannot be transferred wholesale to this one species, and no settled human evidence exists for Korean chive on its own.

Nutrition

• Organosulfur compounds (thiosulfinates) (aroma compounds) — The source of the distinctive aroma and pungency
• Beta-carotene and vitamin C (abundant) — The pigment and vitamin held in the deep green leaves

Organosulfur compounds Korean chive holds organosulfur compounds shared across the Allium genus, but the precursor behind them differs from garlic's. Garlic forms allicin from alliin, whereas the main precursor in Korean chive is methiin, so the thiosulfinates that form are of a different kind and analyses report only small amounts of allicin. Onion runs on yet another precursor, isoalliin, and yields virtually no allicin. These compounds form through an enzyme reaction when cells are broken by cutting or chewing, and long heating reduces them.

Flavonoids Polyphenols including quercetin and kaempferol are detected in Korean chive. Their antioxidant activity is measured in the laboratory; what happens in the body after eating them is a separate question.

Saponins Saponins from Allium plants have been reported in a number of analyses. They foam when dissolved in water, and in the laboratory they are observed to bind bile acids. It has not been established that eating chive changes blood lipids in a person.

Vitamins A, C & K, folate & dietary fiber Korean chive holds vitamin A (as beta-carotene), C and K along with folate and dietary fiber. Vitamin K is a nutrient plentiful in leafy greens and is used in blood clotting; the usual advice for anyone on anticoagulants is to watch that intake of vitamin K-rich vegetables does not swing sharply up and down.

Beta-carotene Beta-carotene is held in the deep green leaves. It is a pigment that converts to vitamin A in the body, and weight for weight the content runs higher than in pale-colored vegetables.

Pairings

○ Pork and beef — Eating buchu pancakes (jeon) or a quick buchu salad (geotjeori) alongside meat creates synergy: it aids protein digestion and cuts the gamey smell of the meat. The allicin in Korean chive binds with vitamin B1 to form allithiamine, which is absorbed more readily, so it pairs especially well with pork, a food rich in B1.

○ Egg — Buchu pancakes or buchu egg custard (gyeranjjim) balance protein, minerals, and organosulfur compounds nicely. The complete protein of egg complements the fiber and vitamins of the chive, so a single dish covers a broad nutritional base.

○ Oysters and shellfish — In Korean tradition, Korean chive is a established partner for oysters and clams because it tames their fishy smell and aids mineral absorption. Oyster-buchu pancake (gul-buchujeon) is the classic example, where the distinctive aroma of the chive heightens the briny sweetness of the seafood.

○ Garlic and ginger — Korean chive, garlic, and ginger are all considered warming, so using them together reinforces their effects. Traditionally, all three are combined in remedies for the chills of a cold or for back pain brought on by exposure to cold. Garlic · Ginger

○ Salted shrimp (saeujeot) — Salted shrimp (saeujeot, a Korean fermented shrimp condiment) is the go-to seasoning for buchu pancakes. Its salty umami lifts the aroma of the chive a notch, while the protein in the salted shrimp gently rounds off the chive's pungency.

△ Mistaken for daffodil or Lycoris — no chive smell at the cut, no eating — Korean chive stays in one place for years and spends long stretches as leaves alone, with no flower stalk. Daffodil (Narcissus) and Lycoris, which belong to the same family, also put up nothing but narrow strap leaves before they flower, and at that stage they look much like chive. The leaves and bulbs of both carry lycorine and related alkaloids, and eating them brings on nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. The mix-up is easiest in a garden where daffodils sit in a border beside the vegetable bed. Smell is the test: a cut chive leaf gives off a sharp garlic-and-onion scent, and daffodil or Lycoris leaves give off nothing of the kind. If a cut leaf does not smell of chive, it is not eaten. The base differs too — chive builds a clump of flat leaves, while daffodil and Lycoris send their leaves up from a thick, layered bulb. At the least doubt, neither cut it nor eat it.

△ Honey — Old herbal writing counsels against eating large amounts of Korean chives and honey at the same sitting. The traditional reasoning is that the pungency of the chives combined with the sweetness of honey burdens the stomach; it is not a claim established by modern evidence.

△ Large amounts with beef (traditional claim) — Some old herbal texts treat chives and beef as an incompatible pairing, but at everyday dietary levels it is perfectly fine. Traditional dishes that combine the two, such as chive salad (buchu muchim) and chive japchae, are well established in Korean cooking.

△ Patients on anticoagulants — Korean chives are high in vitamin K, so people taking anticoagulants like warfarin should keep their intake steady. Suddenly eating much more or much less can throw off the medication's effect, so watch for changes in your diet.

Varieties

• Native fine-leaf type (Sol-buchu) (Seed) — Narrow leaves with a strong scent; slow to bulk up, but the clump thickens with every cutting.
• Broad-leaf type (Ho-buchu) (Seedling transplant) — Wide, thick leaves give a larger cut at once; milder scent, used in kimchi and savoury pancakes.
• Fine tender type (sold as yeongyang-buchu) (Seedling transplant) — Very thin, tender leaves eaten raw in salads; cut often or they turn tough within days.