I've had them 3 times already this year. In preparing this for all of you, I never realized this is a New England thing!
Here are the fiddleheads:
Definition: Fiddleheads are a New England spring delicacy. They appear on menus and in markets in the region from about May through early July. What exactly are these deep green, coiled vegetables, though? Fiddleheads are actually young fern fronds that have not yet opened up. They must be picked during a two-week window before the fern unfurls. Fiddleheads are named for their appearance, which resembles the scroll at the head or top of a fiddle. The ostrish fern is the species that produces these edible shoots, which have a unique texture but taste a bit like asparagus or okra. Fiddleheads can be consumed raw or cooked.
-- http://gonewengland.about.com/cs/rec...iddleheads.htm
They taste a bit like spinach, but with a more nutty flavor.
Left in the ground, this is how they develop, into the ostrich fern:
http://www.google.com/images?q=ostri...ed=0CEAQsAQwAw
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