Korean wild chive is a tiny wild relative of onions, prized in Korea as a spring mountain vegetable for its small round bulbs and slender leaves. It grows wild only in East Asia (Korea, Japan, northeastern China, and the Russian Far East) and isn't found growing wild in the US.
Appearance
- Appearance
- A small plant growing from a single round bulb about 1/3 in (1 cm) across. The flat, narrow leaves are longer than the flower stalk, which rarely tops 4 in (10 cm).
- Flowers
- White, pink, or reddish flowers, just one to a few per stalk. Unusual for the onion genus, plants are usually either male or female.
Where it lives
- Range
- Woodlands of Korea, Japan, northeastern China (Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning), and Primorye in the Russian Far East. It isn't a US wildflower.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
Culture and stories
- Culture and stories
- In Korea it's called dallae and is a classic spring san-namul (mountain greens): eaten raw or blanched, pickled, pan-fried in pancakes, tossed into doenjang stew at the last minute, or chopped into soy-sauce dipping sauce.
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