- Type
- Herbs
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Season
- Spring·Fall
- Sowing
- From seed
Korean Wild Chive (Dallae)
Allium monanthum
A spring foraged green that warms the stomach and aids digestion.
Korean wild chive (dallae) is a pungent, sharply aromatic spring green eaten whole, both its small bulb and its slender leaves. In traditional Korean medicine it's called sosan, literally "small garlic": the classic Donguibogam text separates garlic as daesan ("large garlic") from the dallae family as sosan, and credits it with warming the body's core and supporting digestion. Its biting flavor comes from the same sulfur compounds found in garlic. It brightens spring appetites in dishes like dallae-jang (a soy-based seasoning sauce) and doenjang-jjigae (soybean-paste stew).
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Health Benefits
Warming and digestive (traditional). As sosan ("small garlic"), dallae is recorded in the Donguibogam as a spring medicinal green that warms the body's core, aids digestion, and helps relieve abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Sulfur compounds (preliminary). The same sulfur compounds found in garlic and green onion are cited for possible antibacterial and circulatory effects, though most of this evidence is still at a preliminary stage.
Nutrition
- Sulfur compounds (allicin family) (pungent, sharp flavor) — antibacterial, circulatory support
- Vitamin C and iron — antioxidant, supports blood formation
Pairings
○ Soy sauce (dallae-jang) — Finely chopped dallae combined with soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and sesame oil makes dallae-jang, a seasoning sauce that pairs well with rice and tofu.
○ Soybean paste (dallae doenjang-jjigae) — Stirred in at the end of a soybean-paste stew, it brings out its sharp, lively aroma.
○ Tofu and egg — Eaten with mild tofu and egg, its pungent aroma softens and mellows.
Source: Rural Development Administration (Nongsaro) · Donguibogam (classic Korean medical text)