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Fiddlehead fern'''Fiddlehead ferns''' refers to the unfurled fronds of a young fern harvested for food consumption. The fiddlehead, or vernation|circinate vernation, unrolls as the fern matures and grows due to more growth in the inside of the curl.
The fiddlehead resembles the curled ornamentation (called a ''scroll'') on the end of a stringed instrument, such as a fiddle. It is also called a ''crozier'', after the curved staff used by shepherds and bishops.
The fiddleheads of certain ferns are eaten as a cooked leaf vegetable; they must be cooked first to remove shikimic acid. The most popular of these are:
- Bracken, ''Pteridium aquilinum'', found worldwide
- Ostrich fern, ''Matteuccia struthiopteris'', found in northern regions worldwide, and the central/eastern part of North America
- Cinnamon fern or buckhorn fern, ''Osmunda cinnamomea'', found in the Eastern parts of North America
- Royal fern, ''Osmunda regalis'', found worldwide
- Zenmai or flowering fern, ''Osmunda japonica'', found in East Asia
- Vegetable fern, ''Athyrium esculentum'', found throughout Asia and Oceania
Fiddleheads' ornamental value makes them very expensive in the temperate regions where they are not abundant.
Sources and harvesting
Though available regionally in some supermarkets and restaurants, fiddleheads aren't cultivated and are available only seasonally. In rural areas, fiddleheads are harvested by individuals in early spring. When picking fiddleheads, three tops per plant is the recommended harvest. Each plants produces seven tops that turn into ferns and over-picking will kill the plant. Maintaining sustainable harvesting methods is important in the propagation of any non-farmed food species.
Culinary uses
Fiddleheads have been part of traditional diets in much of Asia, Australia and New Zealand, as well as among Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans for centuries.
Asian Cuisine
In Indonesia, young fiddlehead ferns are cooked in a rich coconut sauce spiced with chiles, galangal, lemongrass, turmeric leaves and other spices. This dish is called Gulai Pakis, sometimes gulai paku, a dish which originated from the Minangkabau ethnic group of Indonesia.
In East Asia, ''Pteridium aquilinum'' (fernbrake or bracken) fiddleheads are eaten as a vegetable, called ''warabi'' (蕨 / わらび) in Japan, ''gosari'' (고사리) in Korea, and ''juécài'' (蕨菜) in China and Taiwan. In Korea, a typical ''banchan'' (small side dish) is ''gosari-namul'' (고사리나물) that consists of prepared fernbrake fiddleheads that have been sauteed. It is a component of the popular dish ''bibimbap''. In Japan, bracken fiddleheads are a prized dish, and roasting the fiddleheads is reputed to neutralize any toxins in the vegetable.
North American cooking
Ostrich ferns are also known as fiddlehead ferns. fiddleheads are a traditional dish of New England in the United States, and of Quebec and the Maritimes in Canada. The Canadian village of Tide Head, New Brunswick, bills itself as the ''Fiddlehead Capital of the World.''
When cooking fiddleheads, first remove all the yellow/brown skin, then boil the sprouts twice with a change of water between boilings. Removing the water reduces the bitterness and the content of tannins and toxins. The Center for Disease Control associated a number of food-borne illness cases with fiddleheads in the early nineties. Although they didn't identify a toxin in the fiddleheads, the findings of that case suggest fiddleheads should be cooked thoroughly before eating. The cooking time recommended by health authorities is ten minutes if boiled and twenty if steamed. The cooking method recommended by gourmets is to spread a thin layer in a steam basket and steam lightly, just until tender crisp.
Fiddleheads are available in the market for only a few weeks in springtime, and are fairly expensive. Pickled and frozen fiddleheads, however, can be found in some shops year-round.
Health effects
Some ferns contain carcinogens, and Bracken has been implicated in stomach cancer. Despite this, most people can eat ostrich and cinnamon fern fiddleheads without any problems.
In 1994, there were several instances of food poisoning associated with raw or lightly cooked fiddleheads in New York state and Western Canada. No definitive source of the food poisoning was identified, and authorities recommended thorough cooking of fiddlehead ferns to counteract any possible unidentified toxins in the plant.
Many ferns also contain the enzyme thiaminase, which breaks down thiamine. This can lead to beriberi and other vitamin B complex deficiencies if consumed to excess or if one's diet is lacking in these vitamins.
Gallery
Image:Fiddleheads.JPG|''Pteridium aquilinum'' in Nashville, TN.
References
- Lyon, Amy, and Lynne Andreen. ''In a Vermont Kitchen.'' HP Books: 1999. ISBN 1-55788-316-5. pp 68-69.
- Strickland, Ron. ''Vermonters: Oral Histories from Down Country to the Northeast Kingdom.'' New England Press: 1986. ISBN 0-87451-967-9.
External links
- Wild Harvest Gourmet Fiddlehead page
- Edible Fern of Kamchatka
- Facts on Fiddleheads
- Fiddleheads by Brenda Athanus
- Facts on Fiddleheads
Category:Pteridophyta
Category:Leaf vegetables
Category:Japanese cuisine
Category:New England cuisine
Category:Spring
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Sources: StartLearningNow, Wikipedia | Usage license: GNU FDL
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