Food · Fermented foods

Nira (Garlic Chives / Chinese Chives)

にら (Nira)

Also known as: Nira, Garlic chives, Chinese chives, Allium tuberosum, 韮, Ki-nira (yellow chives), Hana-nira (flowering chives)

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At a glance

Category	Food
Japanese labeling name	にら
Common Japanese notations	にら, 韮, ニラ, 黄ニラ, 花ニラ
Origin	Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum); cultivated extensively in Japan; principal modern production regions Tochigi (volume leader), Kochi, Ibaraki; ki-nira (yellow chives) is a premium specialty produced in Okayama; year-round availability with summer peak
Typical functions	Gyoza filling — central ingredient, defining Japanese gyoza, Chinese-influenced cooking — nira-tama (chive-egg), nira-rebatama (nira-liver-egg), Ramen and donburi topping, Kimchi and Korean-influenced cuisine
Regulatory status in Japan	Standard agricultural product labeling. Tochigi, Kochi, Ibaraki major regions. Okayama Ki-nira premium specialty. Not a designated allergen.

Nira (にら / 韮) — garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) — is a major Japanese cooking herb with substantial OEM applications: as the central filling ingredient of gyoza (one of Japan's volume processed-food categories), as essential ingredient in Chinese-influenced cooking (nira-tama, nira-rebatama, nira-itame), as ramen and donburi topping, and as a kimchi and Korean-influenced cuisine ingredient. Tochigi leads domestic production, with Kochi, Ibaraki, and other regions providing supply. Ki-nira (yellow chives, grown in dark conditions) from Okayama is a premium specialty.

Classification

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Product applications

Functions

Flavoring

Regulatory tags

Culinary ingredient

Origin

Plant-derived

Used in (typical product categories)

Finished-product categories that commonly include this ingredient in Japanese-market formulations.

Fresh nira retail (year-round, summer peak)
Pre-cut nira (convenience format)
Frozen nira (foodservice and processed-food)
Ki-nira (Okayama yellow chives) premium specialty

What it is

Nira is Allium tuberosum, distinguished from chives (Allium schoenoprasum) by larger size and stronger garlicky flavor. The flat leaves are characteristic.

Production: Tochigi (volume leader), Kochi, Ibaraki major regions. Okayama Ki-nira (yellow chives) premium specialty.

Typical uses in Japanese products

Gyoza filling — central ingredient.

Nira-tama, nira-itame — Chinese-influenced cooking.

Ramen and donburi topping.

Kimchi-style preparations.

For OEM: fresh nira retail, pre-cut convenience format, frozen for foodservice and gyoza production OEM, Ki-nira Okayama specialty.

Regulatory classification in Japan

Standard food labeling. Tochigi, Kochi, Ibaraki, Okayama (Ki-nira) origin appropriate. Not a designated allergen.

Regulatory classification in other markets

EU	Imported as garlic chives. Established Asian-cuisine category.
USA	Imported as garlic chives / Chinese chives. Established Asian and gourmet retail.
China	China has substantial jiucai (韭菜) tradition.
Korea	Korea has substantial buchu (부추) tradition (boochu-jeon, etc.).

Example products

Example finished products will be added after verification of regional origin.

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Related ingredients

Used in similar product applications

Other ingredients commonly used in the same finished-product families.

Sharing similar functions

Ingredients that overlap on functional benefit tags.

From the same origin

Other ingredients that share an origin classification.

References

MEXT Standard Tables of Food Composition — にら各形態

Last updated: 2026-04-28. Ingredient entries are reviewed at least annually against current regulatory listings.