These tender shoots are sold fresh in Korean grocery stores. They have a bit of a garlicky kick and add flavor and color to many dishes in Korean cuisine. Scallions are an acceptable substitute, or the green part of green onions, or even spinach.
They dry out and go bad easily, so once I bring them home, I wrap them in a paper towel and then in a plastic bag before refrigerating. Stored that way, they will last a week.
hi Maangchi!
just to make sure I buy the right thing… is this Buchu?
See full size image
These are green onions (scallions)! Wow they look really fresh!
I have much more buchu than I needed to make white kimchi. Is there a way to freeze it so I dont have to throw it away if I cannot use it up before it goes bad? I hate to waste food. Thank you!
No you don’t freeze buchu. How about making buchu kimchi?
https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/buchu-kimchi
Hi! I’m trying to grow my own garlic. As a kid we grew it, and we used the bulb, the greens, and even the flowers in different dishes. Can I use my garlic greens as a substitute for buchu in Korean recipes? I can’t find it anywhere, so I always use green onion, but since buchu is sometimes called garlic chives, I wonder if the taste is similar? Thanks!!!
can u use green onions instead of buchu? i have lots of green onions and they need to be used soon! let me know please!
i meant for the kamja jeon. use green onions instead of buchu.
yes, you can use green part of green onions or spinach. Good luck with making delicious gamjajeon. https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/gamjajeon
in my country its called ‘kucai’..i noticed there are 2 kinds of chives here, one with flower and one without flower.
This chives look like Gow Choy (Chinese Chives) or in Malaysia we call it Kucai. The older harvested plant has white color flowers.
I am going to make Kimchijiggae tomorrow. Just got myself an earthen Korean pot, napa cabbage kimchi, radish kimchi, hot peper flakes and Gochujang paste from a little Korean town (Ampang) within our city. So I am checking Maangchi’s website to find out more recipes so I can have a Korean nite dinner tomorrow.
Hi Maangchi,
how much chives and green onion should I use for the Kimchi recipe, because you did not specified how much to use on your website, thanks!
Maggie
I’m copying and pasting this from my kimchi recipe.
“Add 7 diagonally-sliced green onions, 2 cups of Asian chives (cut into 2 inches in length), and 2 cups of shredded Korean radish.”
Hi Maangchi, I made a Kim chi following recipe “allegedly” THE ULTIMATE KIMCHI RECIPE. What a dissappointing. It does not look good at all. I`m very happy that I found your site. Being recently with my wife in Seoul we are just `wrapped` in your country, people, history etc. Living in Australia we see obese people, unhealthy just pathetic. On the other hand being in Seoul for 4 days/only/ we saw 5 – five persons overweight. Unbelievable. I love that your demonstration and looking forward to my next Korean cooking experiment George
These are available in imphal, manipur, north-east india. It really good with eggs. We also have it with chillies as a salad and also cook it with potato…its yummy
Thank you very much! The chive with chilies sounds interesting. Do you have the recipe? If you want, post the recipe here.
https://www.maangchi.com/talk/forum/reader-recipes
Hi Bona,
Can you tell me under what name it sells in the north-east? I would like to know all the different names for it in NE. If not, the Manipuri name is just fine.
Hi Maangchi!
Lol I’ve been asking a lot of questions lately eh?!?!
Its because I’m going to make korean bbq this weekend and I want everything to be good!
Okay here’s my question. I saw those chives in asian markes but it has little flowers ont he top. Can I use those? just cut off the flower??
Thanks youuuu soo much maangchi!
I’ve never used chives with flowers, but I have seen them in China town. http://asiarecipe.com/images/floweringchives.jpg
http://www.thaitable.com/images/ingredients/pictures/5Chinese%20chive%20flowers.jpg
There must be many different kinds of chives.
I use this chives:
http://www.pattayadailynews.com/images_feature/006_en/0000000313/p5.jpg
Hi Maangchi,i love your blog…It excites me doing a lot in my small kitchen.I lived in your country for a year and i miss the food so bad…Glad to have found you here and taught me as well as the others ’bout Korean foods.I miss Sam Gyeop Sal…Thank you very much!!!
Always wait for new post and videos….=)
Thank you very much! I wish we could have samgyupsal party someday! It will be fun, right? : )
Maangchi, your recipes are amazing and they’re helping my marriage! (My hubbie is Korean!). :)
Just wanted to let your readers know I’ve seen buchu sold as “nira” in some Asian markets in California and Alaska. (“Nira” is the Japanese name for it, also called “nila,” not to be confused with the sweet wafer candy! Ha!).
Here in Japan we add it to scrambled eggs and eat it with rice. It tastes like garlic but looks like flat-leaved grass.
We love you, Maanchi!
oh, yeah? nira!
Thank you for your good information! I love you, too!!
hi, in Europe it is often called ‘Asian (Chinese)
Leeks’..there are Chives as well in markets but they smell and taste totally different from Leeks/Bu-chu :)
What are you going to make with Asian chives? (buchu in Korean). It depends! If you like to make buchu pancake, but buchu is not available, you can replace it with green onions. That’s what I’m doing.
hopish,
Be careful when you wash buchu. It’s very fragile. Fill up a large bowl with water and rinse your buchu gently about 3 times. Don’t scrub it too hard.
Hey maangchi! Last time I made boochu kimchee, I was washing the boochu for a good hour or two. What is your method on washing the chives? They have so much dirt between the leaves, I have given up making boochu kimchee and I found it much easier to make Paa kimchee. :]
Anonymous,
Did I say leeks? In Kimchi, I use this: Asian chives (boochoo in Korean). Thank you!
is this the ingredient that you call “leeks” in your youtube video when you made the kimchi?
thank you and more power!! – mike
Hi, Lucy,
Yes, you can use green onions instead of Asian chives (bu chu).
thanks
Hi, Maangchi,
I love your blog! I want to make your kimchi recipe, but I don’t have Asian chives. Will it be OK with just the green onions, garlic, etc. for seasoning? Thanks! –Lucy
Young hee,
Yes, you can use it. It’s buchu (chinese chives)
are there any alternatives if there aren’t bu choo around?
Maangchi-
I wanted to know if boochu is also called Chinese chives. There are very little Korean grocery markets in Paris so I go to the Chinese markets. I’ve seen something very similar to boochu and it’s called gow choy. Do you know if this is it? Also, maybe some of your readers may know…
From the chinese grocery store it’s called Gow Choy and it’s the same as Buchu, or alternative you can take Gow Choy Fah, that’s with a flower.
Thank you Reinier,
Rita, yes, I sometimes buy buchu at a Chinese grocery store.