I've eaten them as a child.
I think asparagus is the closest comparison, like you say, Andrea. My dad made them from frozen, though... I've never tasted fresh. They don't grow wild around here or anything. I haven't found them in the grocery store for years. When we (someday) get the shady garden bed renovated, I already have plans to plant a couple dozen
ostrich ferns in the area. They should be hardy to our zone with a little protection.
Glad to hear someone else knows what fiddleheads are!
I always get blank looks when I speak of them.