| Fiddlehead |
Website Links For Fiddlehead |
Information AboutFiddlehead |
|
, 2004]] The fiddlehead resembles the curled ornamentation (called a ''scroll'') on the end of a stringed instrument, such as a Fiddle . It is also called a ''crozier'', after the curved staff used by shepherds and bishops. The fiddleheads of certain ferns are eaten as a cooked Leaf Vegetable . The most popular of these are:
Some ferns contain Carcinogen s, and Bracken has been implicated in Stomach Cancer . Despite this, most people can eat ostrich and cinnamon fern fiddleheads without any problems, and ostrich fern fiddleheads are a traditional dish of New Brunswick . In 1994 , there were several instances of Food Poisoning associated with raw or lightly cooked fiddleheads in New York State and Western Canada . No definitive source of the food poisoning was identified, and authorities recommended thorough cooking of fiddlehead ferns to counteract any possible unidentified Toxin s in the plant. Many ferns also contain the Enzyme Thiaminase , which breaks down Thiamine . This can lead to Beriberi and other Vitamin B complex deficencies if consumed to excess or if one's diet is lacking in these Vitamin s. Fiddleheads have been part of traditional diets in much of Asia , Australia and New Zealand , as well as among Native Americans for centuries. In Japan , bracken fiddleheads (known locally as わらび or 蕨, ''warabi'') are a prized dish, and roasting the fiddleheads is reputed to neutralize any toxins in the vegetable. EXTERNAL LINKS |
|
|