Chinese Chives

[spinach]

i purchased a bunch of chinese chives at the local asian market the other day, cut em up into 1 inch pieces and mixed them into a noodle dish i had thrown together. ACK!!!! they were like salmon bones. they were stiff and hard and stuck in my throat. what a tremendous disappointment. did i do something wrong or is this how their normal texture?

[Candy]

These are Chinese chive dumplings I make in the spring when they are young and tender. A special spring treat. At this time they have gone woody and tough though the blossoms are attractive

[torty]

Yes, it sounds like the ones you got were the mature version which actually has less flavor and needs to be cooked. You can stir-fry with eggs, or add to soup, but make sure there is time for them to soften. Today my Korean market had both the 18" tougher ones and the 8" softer ones.

[spinach]

Thanks..that makes sense. i aslo did a bit of searching and found that some types of chinese chives have a tough lower portion, not unlike asparagus, that must be removed. i'll try again, and keep the variations in mind.

[gryphonskeeper]

are you sure it was not lemongrass?

[spinach]

100 % absolutely with not so much as a single doubt. possibly a variation unown to caucasians

[KTinNYC]

The don't sound like any Chinese chives I've ever eaten.