In honor of Earth Day, I thought I’d post this photo just because these things are soooo green. What are they you ask? Well, they’re called fiddlehead ferns and I spotted them recently at the Far West Fungi shop at the Ferry Building.
It was unusual to see them at Far West, 1) because it’s not really a fungus but a fern and 2) it looks like curled up snails. But if you believe Wikipedia (and really, who doesn’t?), it’s supposedly cooked like a vegetable in Asian countries like Indonesia and Taiwan and in Native American dishes in North America. (Also, if you believe Wikipedia, then lightly cooking the fiddleheads is a bad thing because you can get sick if they’re not cooked properly.)
The fiddleheads are the sprouts of the fern before they unfurl, which gives them that curly look. It’s not something that’s farmed, but when found and harvested, you’re supposed to just cut off two to three fiddleheads and not all because that can kill the entire plant. (Gee, I guess I did learn something from Wikipedia.)
I’m not going to be rushing to my condo’s garden to look for fiddleheads among the fern plants, but it’s nice to hear on Earth Day that some people don’t waste anything on this planet and a use can be found for anything naturally grown — a good lesson to keep in mind as caretakers for this world.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Oh Fiddlehead! Happy Earth Day!
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8 comments:
I love fiddleheads. They have an earthy woody taste. I just lightly fried them in butter.
They're incredibly yummy. I think you'd like them, Ben.
Oooh, I didn't realize so many people actually eat this. I might try it because it totally makes me seem like I'm roughin it in the wilderness eating ferns! :P
ohh i get to eat em here frequently. Locals here love to fry it with lime, shrimp paste, chilli and garlic. It's absalutely wonderful if you serve it with a bow of hot rice and some minced meat..
Ben, everything on wikipedia is true. Right? I live my life based on that assumption.
Um,I really like fiddlehead ferns. They are cute and odd looking and have a name that's fun to say. I am a simple girl.
Have a great weekend!
I've come across many recipes that use fiddlehead ferns but have yet to see them in my area. Buy them, try them and let us know what you think!
I agree with those that said these are delicious. The season for them is very short, and it was always something to look forward to. I grew up north of Boston and I thought it was just a local thing to eat them.
I've enjoyed these at restaurants, but have yet to cook with them, myself. I love their sort of green bean-asparagus-like flavor.
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