The Bleeding Tooth Fungus

OK, let’s be honest. If you saw this in a forest, what would be your first thought? Would you think, “This looks yummy. I’ve got to eat this?” Well, apparently, someone did at one point because this “Bleeding Tooth Fungus” is listed as inedible. Luckily for the person who tried it, it isn’t poisonous; it’s just incredibly bitter tasting. However, it does have anticoagulant and antibacterial properties. Maybe, you’re looking at the penicillin of the future.

Only the young fungi “bleed” (or secrete the red liquid). Once they grow up, they turn into normal, boring mushrooms. Also called “Strawberries and Cream” or “Devil’s Tooth,” they can be found in North America, Central Europe, Iran, and Korea.