Chives are popular herbs used in cooking, with only the leaves being eaten. They are grown in gardens for food or decoration, and can be harvested year-round. Scientists have studied chives using various methods to understand their relationships and chemical composition. New cysteine derivatives have been discovered in chives, and a growth inhibitor similar to abcisic acid can be extracted from dormant bulbs. Chives are commercially grown for forcing, processing, and seed production. Dormant chives can be induced to grow with heat treatment, and they form symbiotic relationships with fungi.