Garlic chive flower sauce facts for kids

Garlic chive flower sauce (called 韭花酱 in Chinese) is a special kind of dip or sauce. It's made by fermenting the flowers of a plant called Allium tuberosum, also known as garlic chives. This sauce is very popular in Chinese cooking, especially in Northwest China. People love it because it's fragrant, savory, and a bit salty. It adds a delicious garlic-like flavor to meals.

History of Garlic Chive Flower Sauce

This unique sauce first came from China. The garlic chive plant itself was grown for food during the ancient Zhou Dynasty. This was a very long time ago!

People started using garlic chive flowers in cooking around the 8th or 9th century AD. Later, during the Qing period, written records show it was used as a dipping sauce for mutton (lamb meat).

Jinuhua Tie, an old Chinese writing

A famous piece of Chinese calligraphy called the Jiuhua Tie (which means "Chive Flower Post") talks about this sauce. It was written by a person named Yang Ningshi [zh] (873-954). He wrote about how chive flowers made lamb taste even better. He said it was a "true delicacy" that was very memorable.

A modern Chinese writer, Wang Zengqi, also wrote about how families in northern China make garlic chive flower sauce. He thought it was wonderful and believed it started in Northwest China. He also studied the old Jiuhua Tie writing. He noted that people in Beijing still use this sauce with instant-cooked mutton. He thought this tradition might have come from other groups, but it seems it was already around during the Wudai period, a very long time ago. Yang Ningshi lived in Shaanxi, which is in Northwest China. So, using garlic chive flowers with mutton likely began in that area.

How Garlic Chive Flower Sauce is Made

Garlic chive flowers ready for harvest

To make this sauce, the flowers of garlic chives are first ground up. Then, they are mixed with salt, sesame oil, and other spices. These spices can include Sichuan pepper, ginger, and garlic.

After it's made, the sauce is fermented. This process helps create its unique flavor. Once finished, it can be stored for up to a year. Different areas in China might have their own special ways of making it. They might add or leave out certain spices. But the main idea is always to pickle the chive flowers with spices.

What Garlic Chive Flower Sauce is Used For

Garlic chive flower sauce is often used as a dipping sauce. It's very popular with boiled mutton. It can also be added to the dipping sauces for Chinese hot pot.

Because the sauce is quite salty, people usually use only a small amount. They often mix it with other things like sesame paste or rice vinegar. This helps balance the strong flavor and makes it even more delicious!