I hope you are wrong as I have eaten a lot of Kosadi (Korean word for fiddlehead fern).

I've heard that some are poisonous, but that ostrich fiddle heads are good to eat. I don't know which ones are poisonous...let me find out...

Okay, here is the link! :)

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.theheartofnewengland.com/food-fiddleheads.html

i've been picking fiddleheads for some time now, but i'm always interested in more information. please e-mail me with more edible and inedible info.i do have quite alot of info wild mushrooms!

Fiddleheads have been eaten safely for many generations, but they need to be cooked fully. There is a toxin in them that is deactivated by heat.

There was an incident several years ago in which customers at a fancy restaurant were poisoned by fiddleheads that had been stir-fried and served so that they were still crisp - that is, not fully cooked. The traditional way of cooking them is to boil them.

I was told that fiddleheads are nontoxic untill the start to mature. That as long as they where still curled up tight you had nothing to worry about that they could be ate raw but when they started to open and mature they became toxic! Tom Brown discussed this in one of his books, but I can't remember which one

I was told that fiddleheads are nontoxic untill the start to mature. That as long as they where still curled up tight you had nothing to worry about that they could be ate raw but when they started to open and mature they became toxic! Tom Brown discussed this in one of his books, but I can't remember which one

Cook them thoroughly and drain the water.

I've been eating them for years and maybe I've been lucky to this point. Last night we had some more -- same plants, picked from next to our house -- just a new season. Little water was used this time and they were essentially just steamed for a few minutes. I may have drank some of the water, too.

I spent last night alternately hugging and sitting on the toilet. I've recovered well since then but it was not a pleasant experience.

I just talked to a Korean who knows about Kosadi and she says Koreans soak the fiddlehead ferns is water and throw away the water several times before boiling it.

fiddlehead is meaningless. There are different "fiddlehead" ferns.

Matteuccia struthiopteris ostrich fern has edible shoots.

Pteridium aquilinum bracken fern is eaten but probably carcinogenic. Other "fiddle head ferns are mildly toxic.