My in-laws' Chinese Chive

As survivors of the Great Famine in China, my in-laws insisted that they would only plant edible plants in our garden. Fortunately, roses are edible, so they have been blooming in the front yard. The backyard has dozens of vegetables. My in-laws planted this row of chives eight years ago.

Chive takes a few months to establish its root. It was worth the patience to wait because this perennial vegetable lasts for many years. Every couple of days, we harvest a patch of chives by cutting them down to the root level. We start from one end of the row. By the time we reach the other end, the beginning patch is ready to be harvested again. During the organic chive growing, the only difficulty we encountered was aphid. Fortunately, it only happened twice. We had to cut down the whole row to the root level. The aphids disappeared as there was no more food for them. After another two months, a fresh row of chives was back.

My husband's family is from Northern China, where many dishes use chives. From a simple plate of chive flavored scrambled eggs to a delicate  collection of chive dumplings (chive with tofu, chive with pork, chive with seafood, etc.) Chinese people love the unique flavor and green color of this little grass. They also believe that chive is good for stomach health and brings energy.

Every other morning, I cut some fresh chive from the garden for chive flavored scrambled egg. I can call it "Egg Flavored Chive" because there was more chive than the egg. Every weekend, my in-laws harvest a large bundle to make "Chinese Chive Pockets." These are giant dumplings with stuffings including chive, tofu, dried shrimp, and mung bean vermicelli. Each pocket is eight inches long. My in-laws pan-fry them. Then we sit down for an authentic Chinese breakfast.

We are dissidents from China. Until the day China no longer persecutes people for their belief or speech, we will not return to see our relatives. Our garden and kitchen is the foundation of our family traditions. I like my in-laws' Chinese chives. They look as ordinary as grass, but they become the most authentic Chinese cuisine on our dining table. Deeply rooted in the soil, they strive in the harshest condition, ensuring that we will have an endless supply whenever there is a shortage of food. Be humble and persevere. That is the traditional Chinese value.