Omelet with Helecho Yuyu or Fern Sprouts

Helecho yuyu or fern sprouts are very popular and delicious part of Amazonic Kichwa cuisine.

The sprouts are new growths at the end of the fern leaves that thick and green, without the actual leaves yet.

The Kichwas pick these sprouts when they find them and prepare food with them.

They are especially delicious cooked and served with traditional food but can be eaten also alone.

I was given a gift of few sprouts in a banana leaf as a form of gratitude from one special education student’s grandmother.

She advised me to cook them and serve them with maito, which is meat or fish cooked inside a leaf.

Since I wasn’t certain I could do a maito on my own, she told me to fry them with egg and eat them that way.

I was told that they especially delicious fried with some onion also.

The idea got my mouth watering and at home I decided to try to do a fern sprout omelet.

Fern Sprout Omelet

1 handful of fern sprouts

2 eggs

1 onion

Salt

Pepper

Oil or butter

1. Chop the fern sprouts into even pieces.

2. Chop the onion into fine strings.

3. Mix the eggs until they form foam.

4. Heat a pan and add the oil or butter, I like to use rapeseed oil but it really depends on your preference.

5. Fry the fern sprouts together with onions until the onions are caramelized.

6. Mix the egg foam with salt and pepper and whisk it on the pan together with fern sprouts and onions.

7. Let it cook on both sides.

Enjoy!