Good Garlic Chives Day

What Is Good Garlic Chives Day?

November 12th is "Good Garlic Chives Day" (Ii Nira no Hi) in Japan. It was established by JA Kochi, the agricultural cooperative headquartered in Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture. The date combines November, when shipments of nira (garlic chives) from Kochi increase, with a Japanese wordplay that reads 12 as "i-ni-ra," meaning "good nira."

Kochi: Japan's Top Producer of Garlic Chives

Kochi Prefecture produces more garlic chives than any other prefecture in Japan. By combining greenhouse and open-field cultivation, growers ship nira all year round. JA Kochi created this day to deepen consumers' understanding of and interest in garlic chives and to boost consumption.

• Established by: JA Kochi (Kochi Prefecture Agricultural Cooperative)
• Origin of the date: November, when shipments increase, plus the wordplay "i (1) ni (2) ra"
• About the region: shipments continue year-round through greenhouse and open-field growing
• Farming approach: growers and JA Kochi practice "ecosystem cultivation," relying as little as possible on synthetic chemical pesticides

A Vegetable That Can Play a Supporting or Leading Role

Garlic chives are used widely in Japanese home cooking, from gyoza filling and stir-fried liver with nira to nira omelets, hot pots and miso soup. Their distinctive aroma changes the flavor of a dish with just a small amount. They cook quickly, so they can simply be added at the end of a stir-fry or soup. As the weather gets colder, they also show up more often in hot pot dishes.

Tips for Marking This Day

• Make a nira dish for dinner, such as a nira omelet or stir-fried liver with nira
• Add chopped garlic chives to your usual miso soup or hot pot
• Check where the garlic chives at the supermarket were grown
• Try making gyoza at home and enjoy the aroma of fresh nira

Add a Bunch of Nira to Your Usual Dishes

Garlic chives are affordable and versatile, making them a familiar everyday vegetable. November 12th is a day to bring garlic chives from Kochi, Japan's top producing region, to your dinner table.