I don't actually know that much about fiddleheads, but I do know that they are baby ferns and are delicious. They taste kind of like a cross between green beans and asparagus tips, I think. Part of what I like about fiddleheads (most of what I like about them?) is the name. Fiddlehead Fern. Besides the alliteration, I think it makes a great insult. "You broke a glass?? You're such a fiddlehead!" Also, they don't look like fiddles or heads, so I'm not sure where the name came from. It should have been a Coffee Talk skit - the fiddlehead is neither a fiddle nor a head. Talk amongst yourselves.
Anyway, Matt tasted them and said, "It tastes like a vegetable."
Now that I've googled them, I also know that fiddlehead ferns are generally the unfurled shoot of the ostrich fern, although some other varieties are edible as well (but not all are, so don't go picking the ferns in your yard). They can be found throughout North America, but nowhere more than Tide Head, New Brunswick, which bills itself as the 'Fiddlehead Capital of the World.' (That site is also available in French, if you happen to be studying French.)
Apparently there is some (minor?) reason to be cautious before eating your fill of ferns, though. Fiddleheads were responsible for a number of food borne illnesses in the 1990s, and the CDC recommends not eating them raw. After reading a few dozen sites about ferns, the consensus seems to be that they are safe to eat, but need to be washed and thoroughly cooked. I am happy to report that Matt and I both feel fine post-consumption.
I sauteed these in olive oil and garlic for about 10 minutes, and then we dumped them on a salad with cucumber, roasted broccoli, mozzarella, and smoked salmon.
And for the record, I've never called Matt a fiddlehead.
Not sick yet :)
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