Savor the Smut

A friend in Canada was all blissed-out one summer when he attempted to grow a crop of corn on his country property in Ontario and discovered a blight of this particular fungus.(see his article here) Corn smut–known in Mexico as huitlacoche. Not what corn farmers are hoping for when they seek to harvest tender golden cobs for the North American market, but here in Mexico, a delicacy.

It is indeed a fungus which infects corn. The word, in its alternate spelling, cuitlacoche, is of Nahautl(Aztec) origin and the etymology points to a loose translation as "sleeping excrement." (Lovely–let's cook some up now, shall we?) While the fungus is undesirable for traditional corn crops, there are now farms in the US that intentionally infect the corn with the fungus to feed a demand from high-end restaurants. Certainly that the James Beard Foundation gave it the more appealing moniker, "the Mexican Truffle," in 1989 may have helped in giving it a popularity boost on more than one level. In Mexico, it is readily available in street markets especially in spring and early summer as it thrives during droughts. In the US, check your Mexican tiendas, or order it here:Huitlacoche - Mexican Corn Truffle by La Tienda
The flavor could perhaps be likened most closely to another fungus, the mushroom: earthy, with a slight nuttiness as well as hint of the sweetness of its host. Texturally, depending on how mature the smut has been allowed to become on the cob, it retains some of the firmness of a fresh kernel and offers a little resistance to the bite, somewhat al dente or, softens to a softer, more portobello mushroom texture, perhaps, when more ripe, or when cooked for a longer period.

Having never prepared it before, I was once again under the guidance of my friend and wonderful mentor, Kirsten West. We began by roasting green and red fresh poblanos over a flame, peeling them, cleaning out the seeds and dicing into a size comparable to the corn kernels. Next, caramelizing fresh corn with some onion in a skillet over high heat, then finally, cooking the smut. After 10 minutes in a small amount of oil over a medium high flame, the smut began to open slightly and release its deep, dark hue. A couple of chopped tomatoes added some moisture to aid in the cooking process as we covered it to allow it to steam for a bit. Finally we assembled all these ingredients, along with a few leaves of epazote and a generous pinch of salt for seasoning, into a lovely dark melange.
This mixture could then have been served as it was, with tortillas or as a side for chicken, but we gave a it more elegant presentation by encasing it in a cream cheese-based tart dough. The final touch was a chipotle-tomato sauce, thickened slightly with amaranth flour, which we agreed not only improved the consistency, but gave the sauce an earthiness to compliment the tart. The final touch, a crumbling of queso fresco.

The flavor of huitlacoche is earthy, complex and unique. If referring to it as the Mexican truffle makes you more inclined to try it, do whatever it takes, and savor the smut!