What Kind of Vegetable Is Fiddlehead Fern? A Detailed Explanation of Its Four Major Differences from Royal Fern

Fiddlehead fern, also called mountain wild vegetable or fist vegetable, is a common wild vegetable found on hillsides. Because its tender leaves are edible and the whole plant can be used as medicine, it has high economic value, and many people are now cultivating it. So what kind of vegetable is fiddlehead fern? What is the difference between it and royal fern?

1. What kind of vegetable is fiddlehead fern?

1. Fiddlehead fern is a perennial herbaceous plant of the order Polypodiales, family Dennstaedtiaceae, genus Pteridium, species Pteridium aquilinum (bracken). It grows about 1 m tall, with needle-feather-shaped leaves and long, horizontal creeping rhizomes. Its appearance is like that of iron fern, and it likes to grow in sunny places in low mountain areas.

2. Fiddlehead fern is also called dragon-head vegetable. Because it matures around Qingming, it is also called Qingming vegetable. When the leaves at the very top are still curled and have not yet unfurled, they can be used as a vegetable, pickled fiddlehead fern, and so on, and the rhizome can be washed and used as medicinal material, so its economic value is very high. It currently grows in all parts of our country, and after maturing, one jin can sell for three or four yuan.

3. Fiddlehead fern is rich in nutritional value and is a green wild vegetable with no pollution at all. It has the reputation of “king of mountain vegetables”. It is rich in protein, vitamins, multiple amino acids, carotene, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and other elements, and every 100 g of fiddlehead fern contains 0.13 mg vitamin B2, 27 mg vitamin C, 1.04 mg carotene, and so on. Regular consumption can clear heat, resolve phlegm, and soothe the tendons and activate collaterals. However, because it contains a carcinogenic substance called “ptaquiloside”, excessive consumption can lead to stomach cancer, esophageal cancer, and so on. But if it is boiled in water several times, there will not be much effect. Still, it is best to eat less, because after processing, fiddlehead fern cannot completely eliminate this carcinogenic component, so during Qingming you can eat a little less.

2. What is the difference between fiddlehead fern and royal fern?

Difference 1, different family and genus: fiddlehead fern is a perennial herbaceous plant of the order Polypodiales, family Dennstaedtiaceae, genus Pteridium, species Pteridium aquilinum (bracken); royal fern refers not only to the tender shoots of the fern Osmunda japonica, but also to vegetables such as wild pea sprouts and Vicia hirsuta.

Difference 2, different morphology: fiddlehead fern has purple or brown fuzz on it; royal fern has yellow-white fuzz on it, and the fuzz is less abundant than that of fiddlehead fern.

Difference 3, different effects: fiddlehead fern has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying and moistening the lungs, and regular consumption can treat dizziness, high blood pressure, arthritis, and other diseases; royal fern has the effects of beautifying and moisturizing the skin and fighting cancer, and regular consumption can treat constipation, palpitations, wind-heat common cold, and so on.

Difference 4, different ways of eating: fiddlehead fern can not only be stir-fried or boiled as a dish, but can also be pickled into pickles or processed into dried vegetables; royal fern is generally blanched in water to remove the fishy smell, then used for stir-frying, cold dressing, or making soup, and it can also be rubbed into dried royal fern to make dried vegetables.

Overall, fiddlehead fern is a perennial plant of the family Dennstaedtiaceae that looks like iron fern. Because of its high nutritional value and diverse ways of eating, it is deeply loved by people. However, because it contains the carcinogenic substance “ptaquiloside”, when eating it you must blanch it in plenty of water or soak and wash it with plant ash to wash out the components inside, but it is still best to eat less. In addition, although it looks like royal fern, the two have certain differences in color, ways of eating, and effects, so when buying, you must distinguish them clearly to avoid buying the wrong one.