Crates of harvested huitlacoche at a Mexican produce market
Courtesy Petirrojo

A delicious ear of white and golden sweet corn… covered in pale, tumorlike growths. Corn smut isn't terribly appealing to the American palate. But our view of the fungus as a disease and a crop blight is a far cry from its perception in other cultures: for hundreds of years, corn smut has been considered a delicacy in much of Mexico. Instead of being destroyed, the fungus is often carefully cultivated, and it can be worth more than the corn it grows on.

Called huitlacoche in Spanish—possibly from an Aztec word meaning "ravens' droppings"—mature corn smut is dry, dark, and spore-filled. If it's harvested early, however, huitlacoche is firm and fleshy, like a young mushroom, and is said to have a sweet, earthy flavor when cooked. The fungus contains glucose (a sugar), as well as the flavor compounds vanillin and sotolon, which is found in caramel, maple syrup, and curry. Huitlacoche is fairly high in protein, and contains high levels of healthy unsaturated fatty acids and essential amino acids.

A huitlacoche quesadilla. Minimal food styling.
Courtesy Stgermh

If you're a culinary adventurer, huitlacoche can be bought by the can at many Mexican grocery stores, or at your local farmers' market if you're lucky. Here's a website with some recipes using corn smut.

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