Fiddleheads orfiddlehead greens are the furledfronds from a fledglingfern,[1] harvested for use as avegetable.
Left on the plant, each fiddlehead would unroll into a newfrond (circinate vernation). As fiddleheads are harvested early in the season, before the frond has opened and reached its full height, they are cut fairly close to the ground.[2]
Fiddleheads frombrackens containptaquiloside, a compound associated withbracken toxicity, andthiaminase.[3] Not all species contain ptaquiloside, such asDiplazium esculentum, a fern with fiddleheads regularly consumed in parts of East Asia, which differs from bracken (Pteridium aquilinum).[4]
The fiddlehead resembles the curled ornamentation (called ascroll) on the end of a stringed instrument, such as afiddle. It is also called acrozier, after thecurved staff used bybishops, which has its origins in theshepherd's crook.
The fiddleheads of certain ferns are eaten as a cookedleaf vegetable. The most popular of these are:
Fiddleheads' ornamental value makes them very expensive in the temperate regions where they are not abundant.
Available seasonally, fiddleheads are both foraged and commercially harvested in spring.[7] When picking fiddleheads, it is recommended to take only one third the tops per plant/cluster for sustainable harvest.[8] Each plant produces several tops that turn into fronds.
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Fiddleheads have been part of traditional diets in much of NorthernFrance since the beginning of the Middle Ages,[citation needed] acrossAsia,[citation needed] and also amongNative Americans for centuries.[9] They are also part of the diet in theRussian Far East where they are often picked in the wild in autumn, preserved in salt over winter, and then consumed in spring.
In Indonesia, young fiddlehead ferns are cooked in a rich coconut sauce spiced withchili pepper,galangal,lemongrass,turmeric leaves and other spices. This dish is calledgulai pakis orgulai paku, and originated from theMinangkabau ethnic group ofIndonesia.
In thePhilippines, young fronds ofDiplazium esculentum orpakô are often made into a salad with tomato,salted egg slices, and a simple vinaigrette dressing.
In East Asia, fiddleheads of bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) are eaten as a vegetable, calledkogomi (コゴミ) in Japan,gosari (고사리) in Korea, andjuécài (蕨菜) in China andTaiwan.
InKorea, a typicalbanchan (small side dish) isgosari-namul (고사리나물), which consists of prepared fernbrake fiddleheads that have beensauteed. It is also a component of the popular dishbibimbap,yukgaejang, andbindae-tteok. OnJeju Island, the southernmost island of South Korea, collecting it in April to May is a convention.
InJapan, bracken fiddleheads are a prized dish, and roasting the fiddleheads is reputed to neutralize any toxins in the vegetable. In Japan, fiddleheads of flowering fern (Osmunda japonica), known aszenmai (薇), as well as those of the ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris), known askogomi (コゴミ), are commonly eaten in springtime. Fiddleheads in Japan are consideredsansai, or wild vegetables. They are also traditionally used to makewarabimochi, a Japanese-style dessert.
In theIndian subcontinent, it is found in theHimalayan states ofNorth andNortheast India. In the state ofTripura, it is known as muikhonchok in theKokborok language. As part of theTripuri cuisine; fiddlehead fern is prepared by stir frying as bhaja served as a side dish. InManipur it is known as 'Chekoh' in the localThadou language. It is usually eaten stir fried with chicken, eggs, prawns or other proteins.
In Mandi (Himachal Pradesh) it is called Lingad and used for vegetable pickling. In theKullu Valley inHimachal Pradesh, it is known locally aslingri and is used to make a picklelingri ka achaar. In theKangra Valley it is calledlungdu in theKangri dialect and is eaten as a vegetable. InChamba it is known as "kasrod". InKumaon division ofUttarakhand, it is called limbra. InGarhwal division ofUttarakhand, it is calledlinguda(लिंगुड़ा) and eaten as a vegetable. InDarjeeling andSikkim regions, it is calledniyuro (नियुरो) and is common as a vegetable side dish, often mixed with local cheese and sometimes pickled. In Southern regions ofWest Bengal it is known as dheki shaak or dheki shaag.
InAssam, it is known asdhekia xak (Assamese:ঢেকীয়া শাক); there it is a popular side dish. In the area ofJammu inJammu and Kashmir, it's known askasrod (कसरोड). The most famousDogra dish iskasrod ka achaar (fiddlehead fern pickle). InPoonch, it is known as 'Kandor'(कंडोर) in local language. InKishtwar, it is known asted (टेड) in the local languageKishtwari. It is also cooked as a dry vegetable side dish to be eaten withrotis orparathas. In Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir, it is called "DheeD" in Khah language.
InNepal, it is aseasonal food calledniyuro (नियुरो) orniuro (निउरो). There are three varieties of fiddlehead most commonly found in Nepali cuisine, namely सेती निउरो having whitish green stem, काली निउरो having dark purple stem, and ठूलो निउरो having large green stems. It is served as a vegetable side dish, often cooked in local clarified butter. It is also pickled.
Ostrich ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris), known locally as "fiddleheads", grow wild in wet areas of northeastern North America in spring. TheMaliseet,Mi'kmaq, andPenobscot peoples ofEastern Canada andMaine have traditionally harvested fiddleheads, and the vegetable was introduced first to theAcadian settlers in the early 18th century, and later toUnited Empire Loyalists as they began settling inNew Brunswick in the 1780s.[10][11] Fiddleheads remain a traditional dish in these regions, with most commercial harvesting occurring in New Brunswick,Quebec and Maine, and the vegetable is considered particularly emblematic of New Brunswick.[7][12] North America's largest grower, packer and distributor of wild fiddleheads establishedOntario's first commercial fiddlehead farm inPort Colborne in 2006.[7] Fiddlehead-producing areas are also located inNova Scotia,Vermont andNew Hampshire.[12] The Canadian village ofTide Head, New Brunswick bills itself as the "Fiddlehead Capital of the World."[13]
Fiddleheads are sold fresh and frozen. Fresh 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. The vegetable is typically steamed, boiled and/or sautéed before being eaten hot, withhollandaise sauce, butter, lemon, vinegar and/or garlic, or chilled in salad or withmayonnaise.
To cook fiddleheads, it is advised[14] to remove the brown papery husk before washing in several changes of cold water, then boil or steam them. Boiling reduces the bitterness and the content oftannins and toxins. TheCenters for Disease Control and Prevention associated a number of food-borne illness cases with fiddleheads in the early 1990s. Although they did not identify a toxin in the fiddleheads, the findings of that case suggest that fiddleheads should be cooked thoroughly before eating.[14] The cooking time recommended by health authorities is 15 minutes if boiled and 10 to 12 minutes if steamed.[14] The cooking method recommended by gourmets is to spread a thin layer in a steam basket and steam lightly, just until tender crisp.[citation needed]
Māori people have historically eaten young fern shoots calledpikopiko, which can refer to several species of New Zealand ferns.
Fiddleheads are low in sodium, but rich in potassium.[15]
Many ferns also contain theenzymethiaminase, which breaks downthiamine. This can lead toberiberi, if consumed in extreme excess.[16]
Further, there is some evidence that certain varieties of fiddleheads, e.g. bracken (Pteridium genus), are toxic.[17][18] It is recommended to fully cook fiddleheads to destroy theshikimic acid.[19] Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) is not thought to cause cancer,[20] although there is evidence it contains a toxin unidentified as yet.[21]
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