Gosari Namul (Fiddlehead Ferns Side Dish) (2024)

FAQs

Is gosari good for you? ›

Also known as bracken-fern, gosari is the young stem of fernbrake and has been eaten in Korean culture for centuries. Praised for its health benefits like being rich in vitamins, antioxidants and fiber, it is also called, “the beef of the mountains,” for its high protein content.

Gosari is the immature frond (known as fiddlehead) of a bracken (aka fernbrake) which grows in the hills and mountains. It has a deep, earthy flavor with a chewy texture, which makes it an essential addition to dishes such as bibimbap and yukgaejang.

In Korea, bracken (sometimes referred to as 'fernbrake' in Korean recipes) is known as gosari (고사리), and is a typical ingredient in bibimbap, a popular mixed rice dish.

Fernbraken (also known as gosari or fernbrake), are bracken ferns (Pteridium aquilinum) and are a calling card for certain dishes in Korean cuisine that may specifically call for them dried. Bracken ferns are the traditional gosari. They need to be blanched longer than typical fiddleheads to be edible.

Never eat raw or undercooked fiddlehead ferns. The symptoms of foodborne illness related to undercooked or raw fiddlehead ferns usually appear from 30 minutes to 12 hours after eating them and include: Diarrhea. Nausea.

Fiddleheads are also nutritious, and are high in potassium, vitamin K, folate, and iron. A note of warning: Fiddleheads contain a toxic, naturally-occurring compound which gets destroyed when cooked sufficiently. If eaten raw or undercooked, fiddleheads can cause significant gastrointestinal distress.

Once clean, fiddleheads can be blanched and then grilled, steamed, braised, sautéed, roasted, or pickled. Don't get too fancy with the little guys. Serve them simply dressed in a vinaigrette or a creamy hollandaise, as you would prepare fresh asparagus, though they can be enjoyed on pizza or in pasta.

Rinse 1 ounce dried gosari (30 grams) in cold water a few times and add to a large heavy pot. Add 4 quarts (16 cups) water. Cover and cook for 1 hour over medium high heat. Open and stir the cooked gosari a few times with a wooden spoon and cover.

All parts of the plant are toxic in both green and dry forms. The toxic component causes a thiamine deficiency (an essential nutrient for central nervous system function and metabolism); clinical signs develop after one to two months of chronic ingestion, and can worsen over a two to three day period.

The above dried gosari package weighs 80 g / 2.8 ounces and I normally hydrate them all in one go even though my recipe below is made with about half of the hydrated gosari. For the part that I do not use straight away, I simply put them in a plastic bag and freeze them after boiling and cooling it down.

Is bracken fern cancerous? ›

Bracken fern (genus Pteridium) is the only plant known to cause cancer naturally in animals.

Rinse the fernbrake a couple of times, drain and put it in a bowl. Cover with fresh cold water and let soak for at least 8 hours or overnight in a cool place, changing the water 2 or 3 times during the soaking.

It is not recommended to eat rare bracken under any circ*mstances because of the statistical increase in cancers in countries where brackens are a consumed in high numbers. Ostrich Ferns are of such low toxicity as to be far preferable to meet the dietary interest in fiddleheads.

However, it is crucial to note that bracken fern also contains several toxic compounds and bleeding factors, especially thiaminases and ptaquiloside, found in high concentrations in the plant's young parts (young fronds) and rhizomes [18,46].

Fiddleheads or fiddlehead greens are the furled fronds from a fledgling fern, harvested for use as a vegetable.

Young, emerging fronds are eaten in some countries, but this isn't advisable, for humans or animals, due to concerns about carcinogens in the plant.

The fiddleheads of cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea), lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina), and bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) can also be eaten, but all are at least mildly toxic and can cause nausea, dizziness, and headache, so it's probably best to avoid them.

The curly young shoots carry just 34 calories per 100 g. Nonetheless; their high-quality plant-nutrition profile consists of health benefiting antioxidants, vitamins, and omega-3, omega-6 essential fatty acids. Fresh fronds are very high in antioxidant vitamin-A, and carotenes.