The image, above, shows the full Royal fern plant (Osmundaregalis), top right and bottom right. Also shown are the
just emerging shoots of the plant (the fiddleheads), left..
| Common Name: Royal fern |
| Scientific Name: Osmunda regalis |
| Other Names: Flowering Fern |
| Family: Osmundaceae |
| Range: Europe, including Britain, from Norway south and east to N. Africa, Asia, N. and S. America. |
Physical Characteristics
Osmunda regalis is a hardy fern, growing to 1m (3 ft 3 in) by 50cm (1 ft 8 in) in size. It is hardy to zone 2 and is not frost tender. The plant is in leaf from early spring and its spores ripen from June to August.
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| Edible Parts: Leaf Shoots, Roots |
 Edibility Rating: 2 
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 Known Hazards: Although we have found no reports of toxicity for this species, a number of ferns contain carcinogens so some caution is advisable. Many ferns also contain thiaminase, an enzyme that robs the body of its vitamin B complex. In small quantities this enzyme will do no harm to people eating an adequate diet that is rich in vitamin B, though large quantities can cause severe health problems. The enzyme is destroyed by heat or thorough drying, so cooking the plant will remove the thiaminase.
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Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Royal Fern along with all the Royal Fern containing recipes presented on this site, with 0 recipes in total.
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Royal Fern as a major wild food ingredient.
Royal fern, Osmunda regalis (sometimes known as 'Flowering Fern') is a fern of the Osmundaceae (osmunda) family. It native range extends Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas where it typically grows in woodland bogs. In Britain it is native to southern Scotland as well as north and central England. It is a deciduous herbaceous plant, producing separate sterile and fertile fronds, with the fertile fronds being very noticeable and resembling infloresences. The sterile fronds are spreading, 60-160 cm tall and 30-40 cm broad, bipinnate, with 7-9 pairs of pinnae up to 30 cm long, each pinna with 7-13 pairs of pinnules 2.5-6.5 cm long and 1-2 cm broad. The fertile fronds are erect and shorter, 20-50 cm tall, usually with 2-3 pairs of sterile pinnae at the base, and 7-14 pairs of fertile pinnae above bearing the densely-clustered sporangia. It is the largest and most imposing of European ferns (hence the 'royal' epithet)
The tightly wound immature fronds, (of Osmunda regalis and closely-relate species), colloquially called fiddleheads, are also used as a cooked vegetable, and are considered a delicacy mainly in rural areas of northeastern North America and Canada. Indeed, it is typically the shoots of Osmunda regalis that are collected in the wild as 'fiddleheads'. The rootstock when peeled and roasted is also sometimes eaten. Although there are not reports of toxicity for royal fern shoots and roots, care should still be taken in the consumption of this plant, as many ferns contain high quantities of carcinogens as well as thiaminase (an enzyme that metabolizes thiamine [vitamin B] and can make the body deficient). Thiaminase is broken down by thorough cooking and many of the carcinogens are leached out through prolonged soaking. However, it is commonly eaten in the USA and Canada and is typically held to have an asparagus-like flavour. If not consumed too frequently it is currently considered safe to eat.
[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Royal Fern as a major wild food ingredient.
Royal fern, Osmunda regalis (sometimes known as 'Flowering Fern') is a fern of the Osmundaceae (osmunda) family. It native range extends Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas where it typically grows in woodland bogs. In Britain it is native to southern Scotland as well as north and central England. It is a deciduous herbaceous plant, producing separate sterile and fertile fronds, with the fertile fronds being very noticeable and resembling infloresences. The sterile fronds are spreading, 60-160 cm tall and 30-40 cm broad, bipinnate, with 7-9 pairs of pinnae up to 30 cm long, each pinna with 7-13 pairs of pinnules 2.5-6.5 cm long and 1-2 cm broad. The fertile fronds are erect and shorter, 20-50 cm tall, usually with 2-3 pairs of sterile pinnae at the base, and 7-14 pairs of fertile pinnae above bearing the densely-clustered sporangia. It is the largest and most imposing of European ferns (hence the 'royal' epithet)
The tightly wound immature fronds, (of Osmunda regalis and closely-relate species), colloquially called fiddleheads, are also used as a cooked vegetable, and are considered a delicacy mainly in rural areas of northeastern North America and Canada. Indeed, it is typically the shoots of Osmunda regalis that are collected in the wild as 'fiddleheads'. The rootstock when peeled and roasted is also sometimes eaten. Although there are not reports of toxicity for royal fern shoots and roots, care should still be taken in the consumption of this plant, as many ferns contain high quantities of carcinogens as well as thiaminase (an enzyme that metabolizes thiamine [vitamin B] and can make the body deficient). Thiaminase is broken down by thorough cooking and many of the carcinogens are leached out through prolonged soaking. However, it is commonly eaten in the USA and Canada and is typically held to have an asparagus-like flavour. If not consumed too frequently it is currently considered safe to eat.
References:
[1]. David Evans Notes from field observations, tastings and cookery experiments.[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
The alphabetical list of all Royal Fern recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 0 recipes in total:
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Page 1 of 1