From the Kitchen Garden: 5 Alternatives for Garlic Scapes

Garlic scapes are delicate springs that bloom in early summer. They are ideal for stir-fries and salads as they flavor the meal with a mild garlic flavor and crunch. Sadly, garlic scapes are available in select outlets, what do you do then? Well, you could use their alternatives.

Other Names for Garlic Scapes

Garlic flowers, garlic greens, garlic shoots, garlic spears, garlic tops, green garlic, serpent garlic, and spring baby garlic.

Garlic scapes are tender curving flower stalks that do not produce any flowers. They are often cut off from the plant, as they divert the plant’s strength and nutrition away from the bulb. If left on the plant, they form small bulbs that can be planted to grow more garlic. Many gardeners often toss them away.

You’ll often spot garlic scapes being used in traditional Korean, Southern, and Eastern European cuisines. They are known to make dishes such as dips, frittatas, guacamole, soups, salads, salad dressings, salsas, stews, stir-fry, souffles, marinades, omelets, and pesto even more delicious. They are mild, less pungent, and flavorful with an asparagus-like texture. Following are some of the garlic scapes alternatives that you can use in your cuisines.

Garlic Scapes Alternatives

Chives

Chives are closely related to leeks, scallions, garlic, and onions. The green stems are used as herbs to garnish many delicacies. The mauve or pinkish-purple blossoms can be eaten too, just like the bulbs of the plant. They too have a mild garlicky-oniony flavor.

Chives go well with chilies, eggs, ginger, lemon, parsley, potatoes, sesame oil, sour cream, soy sauce, and tarragon, making them ideal for all kinds of recipes, viz., baked potatoes, omelets, soups, poultry, grilled steaks, etc.

Garlic Chives

Garlic chives are also known as Chinese chives and Allium tuberosum. They have flat leaves with aromatic, five-petaled, white flowers. Both the leaves as well as flowers can be used for cooking. They have a delicate garlic flavor.

Garlic chives go well with honey, red pepper flakes, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and soy sauce. They are often used in soups, dips, meats, salads, scrambled eggs, quiche, tart, pesto, and other dishes.

Garlic Cloves

Garlic is an essential ingredient in the culinary world, globally. They are one of the most popular herbs because of their intense and flavorful taste, aroma, and health benefits. Raw garlic has a strong, spicy, and pungent flavor, which sweetens and mellows on cooking. On the other hand, once roasted, it acquires a nutty flavor.

Garlic is used as a crucial ingredient in Asian, Middle Eastern, Spanish, Italian, and French dishes. It goes best with onions, tomatoes, ginger, basil, turmeric, greens, meats, chicken, green leafy vegetables, seafood, chillies, etc. It makes a great addition to curries, garnish, soups, sauces, breads, etc.

Fresh or Green Garlic

Green garlic is also known as fresh garlic, spring garlic, or baby garlic. It is the young form of garlic that is harvested, and before it begins to develop, cloves mature. The vegetable looks similar to scallions or spring onions having a deep green stalk with white bulbs.

Green garlics add a mild garlicky flavor to the food. They make great additions and a substitute to garlic and green onions. They can be braised, grilled, and pickled. They also go well with asparagus and pea shoots. They can be used in soups, tarts, quiche, frittata, rice, pastas, dressings, salads, sauces, etc.

Green Scallions

Green scallions are often referred to as green onions. They are the younger version of young onions. But scallion greens are what we are interested in. These are often seen in emerald green hues with a white root base, as it is yet to develop into full-grown onion bulbs. The greens have a mild onion-like flavor and a crunchy, chewy texture. The greens are often used as chive substitutes in many recipes.

Green scallions unique taste and texture make great additions to salads, Chinese food, soups, quiche, tarts, rice, noodles, etc.

These herbs have their own distinct flavor, texture, and aroma. They can be used in many day-to-day meals to make it special. Feel free to experiment with them and come up with your own special recipes.

Like it? Share it!