Vegetables

Fiddlehead fern

こごみ　こごみ　kogomi

Also known askogomi

At its best in Apr, May

Fiddlehead fern (kogomi), Japanese vegetable — Fiddlehead fern (kogomi) is at its best in Apr, May. It is in the market from Mar to Jun.

When it is at its best

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

In seasonAvailable

How to cook

Fiddlehead fern: Ohitashi — Ohitashi

Blanched briefly and steeped in dashi. No de-bittering needed.

Fiddlehead fern: Tempura — Tempura

Fried whole, where the coiled shape looks beautiful.

Fiddlehead fern: Dressed with sesame — Dressed with sesame

Dressed with sesame, which the slipperiness holds well.

Fiddlehead fern: Stir-fried — Stir-fried

Cooked with bacon; Western treatments suit it too.

How to choose

Tips tightly coiled on short thick stems, deep green and downy.

Storage

Boil, then refrigerate and use within two or three days. It also freezes once boiled.

Main areas

Yamagata
Akita
Niigata
Fukushima

Good to know

Its formal name is kusa-sotetsu. The coiled new shoot suggests a person stooping, which gives it its Japanese name. Unusually among mountain vegetables it has almost no bitterness and needs only blanching, which makes it easy to handle. Slipperiness and bite are its virtues.

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