A specialist's and patience-tester's microgreen, one of the slowest to grow but also one of the most distinctive in the kitchen. Yields as a microgreen fine upright shoots 8 to 15 cm, shaped like green hook-stems, often still topped by the black shell of the seed — an iconic silhouette that makes it recognizable above all others in chef compositions.

Flavour: concentrated onion, sharp, lightly pungent, with a sweet softness on the finish — astonishingly powerful for such a small shoot, far more perfumed than classic chives. Delicate, fragile texture in the mouth, almost herbaceous.

Exclusively gastronomic use: garnish on goat cheese, on tartare, on ceviche, on French onion soup gratin (mother-child visual effect), on eggs Benedict, on a gourmet burger, on finished risotto.

Practical note: not suited to jar sprouting — seeds too slow, susceptible to mould — reserve for tray culture on potting mix, and ideally in a dense layer for the "forest" effect on the plate.

• Soak: not required.
• Germination time: 7 to 14 days (slow).
• Microgreen harvest: 14 to 21 days after sowing.
• Yield: about 2 teaspoons of seeds produces a 20 × 20 cm tray of microgreens.
• Best use: chef's garnishes, signature visual effect, refined dishes.