Nira herb, also known as Chinese chives, is a green herb used in Chinese cuisine. It comes in four types and is high in vitamins A and C. Chefs recommend using it within a day or two of purchase.
Nira herb is a popular or green herb that tastes and looks similar to chives. It is often called Chinese chives because it is used in a variety of Chinese food recipes. In an authentic hot and sour soup, nira herb might replace chives or green onions. It is also used in a variety of stir-fried dishes where its fresh, slightly oniony flavor can add noticeable flavor to a dish.
You can find nira grass year-round in Asian markets, and sometimes in specialty or health food stores. It comes in four types. Green nira grass has the strongest flavor, or you can buy yellow nira grass, which is lighter in flavor and color. Two less common types in the United States are gau choy fa and gau choy sum, which each have flower buds on the tips.
With any grass variation, you will notice that the bottom of the grass is hard and can have a white appearance. In general, you should remove the bottom parts, as they don’t cook well and aren’t pleasant in taste. Especially if you plan to toss the herb into salads, you’ll want to remove the herb grounds before serving.
For an extra, unusual flavor, you can add nira herb to soups or stews. You can avoid adding the herb to soups or stews until the last few minutes of cooking, as it will cook very quickly. When you’re looking for the most onion-like flavor, choose dark green herb over yellow varieties. If you want to add just a light flavor to a dish, yellow herb is the best choice.
One of the benefits of this green is that it imparts a lot of flavor with few calories. A quarter cup (two ounces or about 56.7 grams) of chopped green has only 10 calories. The same servings provide 30% of the US Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C and 25% of the RDA of vitamin A. Nutritionally, this herb is an excellent addition to foods, packing a serious antioxidant punch for very few calories.
Chefs recommend using nira within a day or two of purchase. If you must buy it ahead of time, you can extend its life in the refrigerator by wrapping a damp paper towel around the bottom of the herb. Even then, you should probably plan on using the herb within a week of purchase.
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