Sweet Tooth or Hedgehog
Dentinum repandum
Hydnum repandum
Hydnum heimii
Hypothele repanda

Cap about 5"


 

Below is one that is about half the cap size, that grows under pine, is a different specie called Dentinum umbilicatum
Hydnum umbilicatum

Hydnum repandum is consistently placed among the favorites in mushroom tasting contests. In Denmark it is one of the top 20 wild mushrooms species eaten. The Western Montana Mycological Society voted this species third in its tastiest mushrooms contest; first was Russula occidentalis and second was Agaricus sylvicola. Krieger described this mushroom as tasting like oysters, leading to recommendations that people afflicted with ‘ostreophobia’ (fear of shellfish) avoid this mushroom.

In areas with high air pollution or sludge deposition on forest soils, Hydnum repandum can accumulate relatively high levels of heavy metals, especially mercury compared to other wild mushrooms.

Many beneficial compounds such as antioxidants and energy boosters are reported from Hydnum repandum. As well, anti-nematode activity compounds and Repandiol, which is reported to have anti-tumor activity, are also found in H. repandum. This mushroom was found to have high trypsin inhibiting activity compared to 53 other wild mushrooms. Trypsin inhibiting activities can reduce digestibility and can increase resistance to bacteria and insects in non-ruminant animals.