Fun with fungi, part one:Huitlacoche on our corn

Way back in May, when we were still digging out beds, I stumbled upon some info about the corn fungus Ustilago maydis. It's commonly called "corn smut" in the U.S., but in Mexico this fungal growth is called huitlacoche or cuitlacoche.
While my Lady Friend and I observed the growth of the Three Sisters last week, she pointed out some white growths at the bottom of a cornstalk. I was quite excited to see this, because I'd wanted to know more about this fungus when I read about it in May.

The fungus typically grows in tight sacs, or galls, on the ears of corn. As you can see, the fresh galls are a greenish white. They are plump and contain a paste of small, blue-black spores. The fungus smells a bit like corn, with earthy undertones.

Ustilago maydis is usually eradicated by the farm industry (what else would you expect for something called smut?). In Mexico and among indigenous peoples north of the border, the fungus is treated as a delicacy. Huitlacoche is an Aztec word that means "raven's excrement." The Hopi call the fungus nanha, while the Zuni refer to it as corn-soot and say that it symbolizes the generation of life.

This corn fungus been part of the indigenous diet for at least 500 years. WikiP states: "The Aztecs purposely inoculated corn with the spores by scratching their corn plants at the soil level with a knife — thereby allowing the waterborne spores easy entrance into the plant."

There have been attempts to introduce this fungus into the modern diet, with limited success. As you can read on the Wiki page, the USDA has allowed some farmers to cultivate the fungus for sale. The University of Wisconsin at Madison has a huitlacoche cultivation program in place, also. Their crop is then sold in local markets.

Many huitlacoche recipes (some referring to "Mexican corn truffles") are available online. Here are some more.

To those, let me add my own quick rendition:


1/2 cup of huitlacoche
1 or 2 peeled garlic buds
3 slices of onion
A tablespoon or two of vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce
Fresh black pepper and sea salt to taste

I parboiled the huitlacoche for three minutes, then placed it in a pan with the oil, spices, garlic and onion. I sauteed that mixture for about four minutes, then placed them on thick slices of acorn squash that I'd just picked. Topped with marinara sauce (since we were already having pasta). Served one curious gardener.