Fiddlehead Fern

Guide Note

Fiddleheads are the young, coiled shoots of ferns used as a vegetable. Numerous species are eaten worldwide, but the commercial fiddlehead found in American markets is from the species Matteuccia struthiopteris, or the ostrich fern.

Fast Facts

1. Boil for 10 minutes
2. High in vitamin C
3. Traditional food of New Brunswick, Canada
4. Ostrich fern is the most common
5. Bracken ferns are suspected to contain a carcinogen

Many species of fern are toxic, and relatively little research has been done to sort out one species from another, worldwide, in terms of which fiddleheads are edible and safe. Adding to the uncertainty is the fact that fiddleheads sold in the U.S. are gathered from the wild, not cultivated. Beginning in the 1990s, a number of poisonings -- mostly among amateur collectors -- led to a general suspicion as to the safety of fiddleheads. The backstory seems to be similar to that of wild mushrooms: Ostrich ferns appear to be safe when cooked, and may even be safe (although somewhat bitter or acrid) when raw, but can easily be confused with other unsafe species unless positively identified. (A necessary, but not sufficient point of ID for ostrich fern fiddleheads is a groove in the inside of the stem.)

Fiddleheads are usually cooked until tender and served like asparagus, either with minimal seasoning or in a sauce such as Hollandaise or Bearnaise. They have a delicate taste with a hint of astringency.