Fiddlehead ferns refers to the unfurled fronds of a young fern harvested for food consumption. A fern is any one of a group of about 20000 Species of Plants classified in the phylum or division Pteridophyta, also known as Filicophyta The fiddlehead, or circinate vernation, unrolls as the fern matures and grows due to more growth in the inside of the curl. Vernation (from vernal, since that is when leaves "spring forth" in Temperate regions is the formation of new leaves or fronds
The fiddlehead resembles the curled ornamentation (called a scroll) on the end of a stringed instrument, such as a fiddle. Milford is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States, on the Souhegan River. It is also called a crozier, after the curved staff used by shepherds and bishops. A crosier ( crozier, pastoral staff, paterissa, pósokh) is the stylized staff of office ( Pastoral staff) carried by high-ranking
The fiddleheads of certain ferns are eaten as a cooked leaf vegetable; they must be cooked first to remove shikimic acid. Leaf vegetables, also called potherbs, greens, or leafy greens, are plant leaves eaten as a Vegetable, sometimes accompanied Shikimic acid, more commonly known as its anionic form shikimate, is an important biochemical Intermediate in plants and microorganisms 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. Brackens ( Pteridium) are a genus of about ten species of large coarse Ferns in the family Dennstaedtiaceae. The Ostrich fern or Shuttlecock fern ( Matteuccia struthiopteris) is a crown-forming colony-forming Fern, occurring in temperate regions of the Cinnamon Fern ( Osmundastrum cinnamomeum) is a species of Eusporangiate Fern in the family Osmundaceae. Royal Fern (Osmunda regalis is a species of Osmunda, native to Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, growing Osmunda japonica ( Japanese Royal Fern or Japanese flowering fern; syn Royal Fern (Osmunda regalis is a species of Osmunda, native to Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, growing Vegetable fern ( Diplazium esculentum) is an edible Fern found throughout Asia and Oceania.
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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 Native Americans for centuries. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States.
East Asian cuisine
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. Banchan also spelled panchan, refers to small Side dishes served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. It is a component of the popular dish bibimbap. Bibimbap is a popular Korean dish. The word literally means "stirred/mixed Rice " or "stirred/mixed meal In Japan, bracken fiddleheads are a prized dish, and roasting the fiddleheads is reputed to neutralize any toxins in the vegetable. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics.
North American cooking
Ostrich fern fiddleheads are a traditional dish of New England in the United States, and of Quebec and the Maritimes in Canada. History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk The Maritime provinces, called the Maritimes in local English (or the Canadian Maritimes by non-Canadians is a region of Eastern Canada Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Canadian village of Tide Head, New Brunswick bills itself as the Fiddlehead Capital of the World. Tide Head (2006 pop 1075 is a Canadian village in Restigouche County, New Brunswick.
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. The term carcinogen refers to any substance Radionuclide or radiation that is an agent directly involved in the promotion of Cancer or in the fatation of its propagation Stomach or gastric cancer can develop in any part of the Stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs particularly the Esophagus and 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. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Foodborne illness (also foodborne disease) is any Illness resulting from the consumption of food New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page 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. A toxin ( Greek:, toxikon, lit (poison for use on arrows is a Poisonous substance produced by living cells or organisms that is active at very low
Many ferns also contain the enzyme thiaminase, which breaks down thiamine. Enzymes are Biomolecules that catalyze ( ie increase the rates of Chemical reactions Almost all enzymes are Proteins Thiaminase is an Enzyme that metabolizes or breaks down Thiamine into two molecular parts For the similarly spelled pyrimidine see Thymine Thiamin or thiamine, also known as Vitamin B1 This can lead to beriberi and other vitamin B complex deficencies if consumed to excess or if one's diet is lacking in these vitamins. Beriberi (pronounced Berry-berry) is a Nervous system ailment caused by Thiamine (vitamin B1 deficiency The B vitamins are eight water-soluble Vitamins that play important roles in cell Metabolism. A vitamin is an Organic compound required as a Nutrient in tiny amounts by an Organism.
Gallery
 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
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