Dehradun, May 24 -- Culinary Chronicles

"Try once at least, they taste quite similar to asparagus," said my father.

After residing for decades in the highlands and with versatile palates, my parents also adapted to the local gastronomic traditions. Mussoorie has been a town woven from a rich tapestry of cultures - "Pahadi, Baniya / Marwari, Punjabi et cetera" with an influence of the British, American and Tibetan.

The sight of fiddle head ferns or "linguda" as termed in the local vernacular on the vegetable stands was uninviting. Reminded me of the serpentine coils. A wild imaginative leap of a child from a modest plant to a lurking predator!

They were often presented on our dining table during the summer months in the regional style....