Nira

Nira is what we call Japanese garlic chives. It seems like every private garden has a corner with some nira in it. They actually have nice little clustered white blooms so they make an attractive plant to have near a rockery as well as being tasty. These are eaten fresh, as they lose their aroma and taste when dried. You usually don't uproot them, just trim off what you want to eat but my mother-in-law had dug them up so I could transplant some in my garden! We don't eat the white root.

There are so many ways to enjoy it, but tonight I just tossed it in a noodle dish that my daughter enjoys: boiled Chinese bean thread noodles stir fried with minced pork, leeks, nira, some red bell peppers, asparagus (or broccoli), seasoned with soy sauce, mirin and sake. I added some of those hot red peppers in thin slices to our dish.