Ever since I ate this chives dish at Fong Lye Taiwanese restaurant recently, I got hooked on chives. The chives was all chopped up and stir-fried with minced pork, red cut chillies and tau cheong (fermented bean paste). It was really tasty. After that lunch at Fong Lye, I could not wait to try cooking that dish myself.  I quickly bought some chives from the supermarket and tried cooking them ala Taiwanese style. It was really simple to cook and I think my chives dish tasted much better than the one at Fong Lye! That’s because mine was not loaded with MSG and not salty. I try to go easy on sodium as it causes water retention, high blood pressure and works the kidneys real hard.

Here’s the Taiwanese chives dish that I had dished up:

Also pan-fried a mackerel fish. We normally chop the fish up into pieces before pan-frying them. This way the fish is more flavorful and crispy.

and steamed eggs with minced pork…

A plate of wholesome and well-balanced dinner for my 2 older girls.

Food For Thought:
Chive is the name given to the smallest species of the onion family, which also includes onions, garlic, shallots and leeks. Chives can usually be seen in clumps and their stalks have a light, onion flavor. The leaves of chives are used, after shredding, as condiment for fish, potatoes and soups. Chives comprise of a bulb that is attached with leaves. The bulb is slender and conical in shape, while being 2-3 cm long and 1 cm broad. The leaves, on the other hand, are hollow and tubular, being up to 50 cm long and 2-3 mm in diameter. In the following lines, we have provided information on chives.

Nutritional Value of Chives
Given below is the amount of nutrients in 100 gm of Chives:

* Vitamin A – 4353 IU
* Vitamin A – 218 mcg
* Vitamin B6 – 0.138 mg
* Niacin – 0.647 mg
* Riboflavin – 0.115 mg
* Thiamin – 0.078 mg
* Vitamin C – 58.1 mg
* Vitamin E – 0.21 mg
* Vitamin K – 212.7 mg
* Calcium – 92 mg
* Copper – 0.157 mg
* Iron – 1.6 mg
* Manganese – 0.373 mg
* Magnesium – 42 mg
* Phosphorus – 58 mg
* Potassium – 296 mg
* Selenium – 0.9 mcg
* Sodium – 3 mg
* Zinc – 0.56 mg
* Protein – 3.27 gm
* Fiber – 2.5 gm
* Water – 90.65 gm
* Carbohydrate – 4.35 gm
* Lipids (Fats) – 0.73 gm
* Energy – 30 Kcal

Health and nutrition benefits of eating chives:

* Chives, when finely chopped and consumed with food, are said to aid digestion and stimulate appetite.
* Consumption of chives has been found to be beneficial for the respiratory system of an individual.
* It has been seen that chives can help the body in digesting fatty foods, such as cheese.
* For those suffering from tiredness and fatigue, consuming chives can serve to be a good remedy.
* Since chives have been known to have diuretic properties, they can reduce obesity and fluid retention.
* Researches have revealed the result that chives help reduce the risk of prostate cancer, by as much as 50 percent.
* Chives have been found to comprise of mild anti-inflammatory properties.
* The oil of Chinese chives is believed to help heal bruises and kill germs in the intestines.