What Are Garlic Scapes?
Learn what garlic scapes are, what they taste like, how Chinese recipes use them, how to prepare and stir-fry them, and what to substitute.
Garlic scapes are the firm green flower stalks of hardneck garlic plants. In Chinese cooking, similar tender garlic stems are used in stir-fries with pork, beef, eggs, tofu, mushrooms, and savory sauces.
Quick Answer
Garlic scapes are crisp green stems with a mild garlic flavor. Slice them into short pieces and stir-fry them quickly with meat, eggs, tofu, or mushrooms.
What Do Garlic Scapes Taste Like?
Garlic scapes taste garlicky, green, and slightly sweet, but usually milder than raw garlic cloves. The texture is firm and crisp when cooked briefly.
Older scapes can be tough or fibrous, so choose tender stems when possible.
Garlic Scapes vs Garlic Chives
Garlic scapes are round, firm stalks from garlic plants. Garlic chives are flat, leafy greens with a stronger chive-like aroma.
They can sometimes substitute for each other in stir-fries, but the texture is different. Garlic scapes are crunchier and more stem-like.
How Garlic Scapes Are Used In Chinese Cooking
Garlic scapes are excellent in stir-fries with sliced pork, cured pork, beef, eggs, dried tofu, tofu skin, mushrooms, or chilies.
They add both vegetable texture and garlic aroma, so recipes often need less minced garlic when scapes are included.
How To Prepare Garlic Scapes
Trim any dry ends and remove very tough flower tips if needed. Cut the stems into short lengths, usually 1 1/2 to 2 inches.
If the scapes are thick or older, blanch briefly before stir-frying.
Best Cooking Methods
Stir-fry garlic scapes over medium-high to high heat until crisp-tender. Add them before very delicate ingredients but after aromatics or meat have started cooking.
Avoid overcooking, which can make them dull and tough.
Best Garlic Scape Substitute
Use garlic chives, green garlic, scallions, asparagus, or green beans depending on the dish. Add a little minced garlic if the substitute is less aromatic.
FAQs
Are garlic scapes the same as garlic chives?
No. Garlic scapes are firm garlic flower stalks, while garlic chives are flat leafy greens.
Can you eat the whole garlic scape?
Most tender parts are edible, but dry ends or tough flower tips can be trimmed away.
What do garlic scapes go with?
Pork, beef, eggs, dried tofu, mushrooms, chilies, soy sauce, and oyster sauce all pair well with garlic scapes.
Conclusion
Garlic scapes bring crunch and gentle garlic aroma to stir-fries. Cut them evenly, cook them until crisp-tender, and use them with meats, eggs, tofu, or mushrooms.