信阳拳菜，又叫蕨菜、蕨儿菜、拳头菜、龙须菜、龙头菜、如意菜等，属凤尾蕨科多年生植物，多野生于阴湿浅山荒坡、半山坡及林下草地。拳菜新发枝芽，羽状小叶苞尚未展开时呈半握拳头状，富含多种营养成份，常被人们采收以供食用。
       
    营养价值与用途
 
    据分析测定，每100g拳菜茎叶中含蛋白质1.6g、脂肪0．4g、碳水化合物10g、粗纤维1.3g、维生素C35mg、钙24mg、磷29mg、铁6.7mg、胡萝卜素16．8mg。此外，还含有多种氨基酸、苷、胆碱、麦角固醇等营养物质。
       
    拳菜的营养成分丰富，用途也很广。春季可当蔬菜采集其嫩叶、嫩芽鲜食，尤其与肉类搭配烹饪，口感、味道甚佳。也可采集嫩叶、嫩芽干制腌渍，还可加工成罐头，可四季供应。随着食用水平的提高，拳菜已渐成为各大宴席上的美味佳肴。

 

Xinyang Fiddlehead Fern

    Xinyang Fiddlehead Fern, with another name of Asparagus, belongs to pteridaceae and perennial plant, which always grows on shady and moist slopes on mountains and grasslands in forest. New-born buds of it are nutritious so that people always pick them to eat.
      
    Fiddlehead Fernis is not only nutritious, but is widely used. Its tender stems and leaves can be picked and cooked with other vegetable in spring; tender stems and leaves can also be pickled and made into can-food supplying for all seasons. With the advancement of life standards, fiddlehead fern has become a delicacy in feasts gradually.