Fiddlehead ferns Nutrition facts
Fiddlehead ferns
Fiddlehead ferns are young, tender, tightly furled new growth shoots of fern family plant, usually of the ostrich fern. The curly shoots are so named after their unique resemblance to the fiddle (violin) head.
The tender fiddlehead fronds are very popular among the inhabitants of Maine, Vermont in the US, and New Brunswick provinces in Canada where their brief season in the latter part of spring attracts many food enthusiasts.
Ostrich variety fern belongs to the unique flowerless plant species Onocleaceae, a small family of terrestrial ferns. Scientific name: Matteuccia struthiopteris.
Ostrich ferns are the most common edible fiddle-ferns found in North America. The fern is a clump-forming (like an ostrich plume), deciduous plant, which typically grows in well-drained, moisture-rich shady environments. During the spring, numerous fiddlehead fronds erupt spring-up all along the root (rhizome) spread of big fern plant.
| Nutrition Principle | Nutrition Value | Percentage of RDA |
|---|---|---|
| Principle | ||
| Energy | 34 Kcal | 1.7% |
| Carbohydrates | 5.54 g | 4% |
| Protein | 4.55 g | 8% |
| Total Fat | 0.40 g | 2% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Vitamins | ||
| Niacin | 4.980 mg | 31% |
| Riboflavin | 0.210 mg | 16% |
| Thiamin | 0.020 mg | 1.5% |
| Vitamin A | 3617 IU | 120.5% |
| Vitamin C | 26.6 mg | 44% |
| Electrolytes | ||
| Sodium | 1 mg | <1% |
| Potassium | 370 mg | 8% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 32 mg | 3% |
| Copper | 0.320 mg | 35.5% |
| Iron | 1.31 mg | 16% |
| Magnesium | 34 mg | 8.5% |
| Manganese | 0.510 mg | 22% |
| Selenium | 0.7 mcg | 1% |
| Zinc | 0.83 mg | 7.5% |
| Phyto-nutrients | ||
| Carotene-ß | 2040 µg | -- |
| Carotene-alpha | 261µg | -- |