Do People Eat Hedgehogs?
Posted by Justin, October 19, 2009 
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Yes, it’s true, people really do eat hedgehogs! According to Larousse Gastronomique, hedgehog was commonly consumed in 16th century France, but now “it is eaten only by gypsies, who either roast it or stew it.”1 Apparently the preferred method is to wrap the hedgehog in wet clay before roasting or stewing. As the clay hardens it adheres to the hedgehog’s quills, and pulls them out when removed. Personally, I beg to differ with this revered tome of culinary knowledge. Firstly, because I believe the people in question prefer “Roma” or “Romani” to “gypsy,” and second in that the Roma people aren’t the only ones who eat hedgehogs. Hedgehogs are delicious, and everyone should try them at least once…even vegetarians can fall in love with their tender flesh and rich buttery flavor. Yes…vegetarians. Wait, we were talking about fresh hedgehog mushrooms, weren’t we? That’s certainly what I was talking about…maybe Larousse had something else in mind. In any case, hedgehog mushrooms, named for the tiny (soft, not sharp) spines that they have instead of quills, are an underappreciated wild mushroom that is in season from December to January. While they’re often used in casseroles, soups, and stews, around here we love to simply sauté them in a little butter…maybe with some very finely minced garlic and/or white wine. That’s really all it takes to make wild hedgehogs delicious, no clay required. Sign up for our Wild Season Notification Mailing List to get monthly e-mails letting you know when these and other wild products are in season. Availability can fluctuate quite a bit, as wild produce and mushrooms come and go as Mother Nature pleases, so it pays to be the first in the know when wild foods like Oregon white truffles, fresh black trumpet mushrooms, and fiddlehead ferns show up. 1 2001 edition, pg 602 Post your recipe or comment here:59 Responses to “Do People Eat Hedgehogs?” |
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I just love mushroom soup. Some shallots, garlic, some mushrooms (a couple of kinds), cook for a little bit, some white wine, broth, cook for awhile and then put in the blender. Back on the heat and if you want to be really indulgent add some cream. Enjoy with some good bread.
October 19th, 2009 at 8:46 amI use fresh mushrooms in 80% of all the homemade dishes I make! Love them best in omlets and in my homemade cream sauces (which is the basis for my cream of Mushroom soup, in addition to my sauces for over rice and pasta)
October 19th, 2009 at 9:06 amI always enjoy a good mushroom soup or mushroom omelet. My soups usually include a bit of onion, some potatoes, and carrots, but I’ve been known to add hamburger and tomatoes as well.
October 19th, 2009 at 9:17 amI love mushrooms in just about anything but lately have been craving a good mushroom quiche. I think the Hedgehog mushrooms would be perfect for this!
October 19th, 2009 at 9:37 amWorking up recipes for the holidays and the addition of Hedgehog mushrooms will make it even more challenging — translation: “opportunity to make something tasty.”
Of late I’ve been playing with chanterelle mushrooms and game. With the final tomatoes of the season just over — I’ll morn the combination of roasting a handful of those sweet small tomato varieties with chanterelles, all served on a bed of farro with slices smoked and grilled duck breast a top.
October 19th, 2009 at 12:25 pmOk the best mushroom dish of all time is called tartufata: a thin slice of toast is topped w asiago cheese (melt it) then finished w chopped wild mushrooms (first sauteed, then tossed w white truffle olive oil) garnished w chopped parsley. To try tartufata, go to via quadronno on E. 73rd St. btw. Madison & 5th Ave in Manhattan. truly amazing!!
lilly
October 19th, 2009 at 8:25 pmI really like stuffed mushrooms! These wouldn’t work for that, but I’m sure I could come up with a great dish for them!
October 20th, 2009 at 7:03 amWould love to try the hedgehog mushrooms with some friends and family!
October 20th, 2009 at 9:58 amI like mushrooms mixed with french-style string beans, sliced potatoes, ground beef and cream of mushroom soup! Add a salad and a slice of french bread and you have some good eats! Comfort food, good and heart and warm on a cold Autumn night! Yum!
Thanks for the entry!
Jodi
October 20th, 2009 at 11:46 amMy favorite mushroom dish is sauted mushrooms in butter for a steak topping.
October 20th, 2009 at 5:32 pmI love Stuffed Mushrooms!! Yummy!
October 20th, 2009 at 7:04 pmI love a good mushroom soup!
October 20th, 2009 at 7:26 pmSauteed mushrooms.
I buy Baby Bella Mushrooms, slice them in thin slices and sautee them in olive oil. As they’re sauteeing, I add a pinch of salt.
Easy and delicious. (If you wanted to, you could pour eggs over the sauteed mushrooms and scramble or make an omelet!)
bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com
October 20th, 2009 at 7:55 pmI love stuffed mushrooms! Spinach, crab, stuff them with anything and I’ll eat them. Also like a simple mushroom and swiss hamburger. Which is what I am having for dinner tonight!
October 21st, 2009 at 5:41 amI once had the most wonderful mushroom bruschetta – I’d love to try and recreate it.
October 21st, 2009 at 8:23 amStuffed mushrooms. I don’t have the recipe but, I’ve indulged many times.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:02 amMy favorite mushroom dish is mushroom soup. I also love mushrooms in spaghetti or pizza.
October 21st, 2009 at 8:50 pmMy favorite mushroom dish is Mushrooms au gratin, Yum!
October 21st, 2009 at 9:07 pmDo you think I can get lucky twice?
The two dishes I did not get to make with your mushrooms the first time around are mushroom risotto and marinated mushrooms: so taht would be the plan.
October 22nd, 2009 at 6:41 amI would just saute them in a little butter and enjoy.
October 22nd, 2009 at 10:20 amWe love mushrooms, either plain and raw or sauteed with a little butter, garlic and wine, another favorite dish is a risotto or an all mushroom stroganoff. Discovered Abalone mushrooms last year, so good, meaty and unique flavor!
October 22nd, 2009 at 11:08 amOh, my, how we love mushrooms at our house.
Nothing better than a caramelized onion and mushroom pizza — made with homemade sourdough crust and embellished with nothing more than a bit of high quality cheese.
Never had a hedgehog, but I’d welcome the chance!
October 22nd, 2009 at 2:50 pmI love fried mushrooms!
lag110@mchsi.com
October 22nd, 2009 at 4:59 pmThe simpler the better for wild mushrooms — lightly sauteed in olive or truffle oil.
October 22nd, 2009 at 6:51 pmA simple duxelle of mushrooms over a good piece of meat is pretty hard to beat in my book!
October 23rd, 2009 at 6:38 amI cannot tell you how excited i am because ive had hedgehog/monkey head mushrooms at buddhist asian restaurants and absolutely LOVE them! I also like morel mushrooms.
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:39 amMy favorite mushroom dish is a goat cheese, mushroom and asparagus gnocci!
October 23rd, 2009 at 9:27 amThe Portabello mushroom sandwich my boyfriend made last night with carmelized onions and queso fresco, mmm!
October 23rd, 2009 at 9:42 amIt’s raining right now in Seattle. And cold. I’m thinking of a puff pastry basket filled with sauteed chanterells in a creamy thyme sauce. Delicious!
October 23rd, 2009 at 9:47 amI like creamed mushroom sauce over fresh steamed vegetables. I’ve never even heard of hedgehog mushrooms, but I’m sure they are delicious, I’ve never met a mushroom I didn’t like.
October 23rd, 2009 at 11:25 amMushrooms in Japanese curry!
October 23rd, 2009 at 12:11 pmMushroom, Roasted Red Pepper, and Carmelized Onion Lasagna!
October 23rd, 2009 at 1:24 pmMy favorite way is to have mushrooms on my pizza or in an omelet.
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:41 pmMy husband loves Morel mushrooms.
I love mushroom soup. I’ll make giant batches and freeze it to eat it for breakfast (with an egg!), lunch (with cheese), and dinner (with salad and bread).
I also love this mushroom casserole my mother makes. It’s basically a creamed mushroom casserole, topped with seasoned bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Sounds very retro and silly, I know, but it’s delicious.
October 23rd, 2009 at 10:40 pmMy favorite mushroom dish is Salsa di Funghi (Mushroom Sauce) over chicken or pork cutlets. YUM!
October 25th, 2009 at 8:30 amMy favorite is really simple. I take onions, saute in butter, add button mushrooms, when done I simple pour mixture over angel hair spaghetti.
October 25th, 2009 at 9:58 amI love using mushrooms in my shrimp risotto. I usually use cremini for this and love the nutty flavor it adds to the dish.
October 25th, 2009 at 11:44 amI love to put mushrooms in my spaghetti and my Japanese Rice!
October 26th, 2009 at 8:10 amMy favourite was mushrooms stuffed with marinated paneer (Indian cottage cheese) with spices and grilled. I serve them as an appetizer and everyone always asks for more
October 26th, 2009 at 8:57 amboeuf bourguignon with mushrooms and pearl onions – yum!
October 26th, 2009 at 12:59 pmMushroom risotto!
October 26th, 2009 at 1:52 pmsauteed in butter
October 26th, 2009 at 9:33 pmgrilled portobellos could almost turn me into a vegetarian
October 27th, 2009 at 7:30 pmI love morels, sauteed in butter, with a nice steak. Sorry it’s so simple, but I’m honestly salivating at the thought, and feeling very sorry for myself that it’s been 2 seasons since we were able to find any morels.
I’m very interested to try other shrooms, but am scared to forage for anything but morels.
Thanks for the giveaway.
October 27th, 2009 at 9:55 pmMy favorite mushroom is the portabella because it is so “meaty.”
October 28th, 2009 at 5:53 amI would really like to win these mushrooms I love to cook with them and this would be awesome!
October 28th, 2009 at 9:08 amI love puffball mushrooms fried in butter and then served with maple syrup.
October 28th, 2009 at 10:08 amThey’re like french toast!
I use fresh mushrooms all the time. I tried dried once, but it seems a little hard to refresh them. I love mushrooms sauteed in garlic butter, then laced with some wine and parsley, served over steak.
I also like them grilled. They make great sandwiches!
October 28th, 2009 at 11:53 amChicken Marsala with mushrooms has to be my all time favorite!
October 28th, 2009 at 12:15 pmI like lots of mushrooms sauteed with onions and piled high on my cheeseburger or Philly Cheese steak. Yum!
October 28th, 2009 at 12:32 pmI like mushrooms sauteed in olive oil. Mmmm
October 28th, 2009 at 3:35 pmwhen I am not sauteeing them in butter and pouring the whole lot over toast or putting them in omeletes or mixing them in fresh pasta dough or including them in some risotto then I will make a nice thick rich mushroom soup!
October 30th, 2009 at 6:05 pmStart with melted, clarified butter and saute some mushrooms… and frequently that’s as far as I get until the shrooms are all nibbled away. Survivors might end up topping a crostini, filling a crepe purse, accompanying pasta or topping eggs or grilled steak.
October 30th, 2009 at 9:36 pmEven though it’s not the healthiest of recipes, I love fried mushrooms. I love mushrooms in salad, as well.
November 1st, 2009 at 9:08 pmMy grandma makes a killer baked stuffed-mushroom appetizer with cream cheese, sausage, and Italian seasonings.
My dad’s sauteed wild mushrooms in butter induce drooling. 
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:41 amFavorite way to eat mushrooms? Provencal style — sauteed with lots of garlic, white wine and parsley.
November 2nd, 2009 at 3:04 pmMy favorite mushroom dish is spinach and mushrooms. You saute each one with lots of butter and some garlic and then combine them. Yum!!
-Robin
November 3rd, 2009 at 7:05 amQuestion,
March 31st, 2013 at 12:15 amI want to no if I run a hedgehog over Kant I pick it up cook it and eating,
Like roadkill stew
Hi Katie,
We don’t know. As a rule, we don’t recommend consuming roadkill. If you decide to do so though, let us know how it goes!
Matthew
April 1st, 2013 at 7:48 amMarxFoods