Is huitlacoche safe to eat? Yes, huitlacoche is definitely safe to eat. It makes a delicious filling for a lot of different Mexican dishes such as tamales and quesadillas.

How do you eat huitlacoche?

Huitlacoche does not need to be cooked in order to be consumed, so it is generally only sautéed lightly before being added to whatever dishes it is being used in. The number one way in which Huitlacoche is prepared in Mexico is in the famous Huitlacoche Quesadillas.

How much does huitlacoche cost?

Instead, huitlacoche is a prized edible delight. Its price on the market—about $15 to $20 per pound—reflects huitlacoche’s culinary status.

Is it safe to eat corn fungus?

The fungus forms galls on all above-ground parts of corn species. … It is edible, and is known in Mexico as the delicacy huitlacoche; which is eaten, usually as a filling, in quesadillas and other tortilla-based foods, and in soups.

Where can I buy huitlacoche?

Huitlacoche can be bought at most Mexican food specialty stores and comes frozen, jarred or canned.

Can you grow huitlacoche?

Huitlacoche is a fungus that grows naturally on corn, but according to Jozwik, it can be notoriously hard to cultivate as a crop. “Pretty much every single farm field and agricultural field in the Midwest has this (fungus) already in the soil,” Jozwik said.

What is the nutritional value of huitlacoche?

Composition of the huitlacoche ranged from trace (manganese: 1.91 mg/kg) to high amount (phosphorus: 342.07 mg/kg). However, it was rich in magnesium (262.69 mg/kg). The amount of calcium (18.61 mg/kg) and sodium (12.06 mg/kg) were also considerably high (Table 3).

Where do you get corn fungus?

“We’re in luck! We’ve found one. Here it is,” he shouts when he discovers an infested stalk. The fungus is collected in big buckets.

Can you get huitlacoche in the US?

If you can’t find any fresh locally you can order canned corn smut over the Internet. Perhaps not surprisingly fresh infected corn sells for more than uninfected corn. In the U.S. an ear of huitlacoche costs some 41 cents to produce and sells for about three times that, $1.20.

What country is huitlacoche from?

Huitlacoche can be found all over the world and dates back to the time of the Aztecs. Today it is predominately found in Mexico and some parts of the United States. Fresh Huitlacoche can be found at local markets, and canned versions can be found at grocers and specialty stores.

Article first time published on

What is huitlacoche good for?

The savory huitlacoche is used in tamales, stews, soups, corn patties, quesadillas and even desserts. It has become a sought after ingredient, served in some of the finest menus across the country – including the James Beard House in New York City.

Are corn truffles good for you?

Huitlacoche Has Good Nutritional Value Interestingly, despite the fact that huitlacoche infects the corn, it actually significantly improves on the health benefits of corn. The fungus has notably more protein than healthy corn contains, and a far greater portion of lysine, an essential amino acid.

How do you make huitlacoche?

While huitlacoche can be harvested from naturally infected ears of corn, you can increase your yield by artificial inoculation. Prior to pollination, soak corn silks with huitlacoche spores mixed with water. After inoculation, water and fertilize corn plants for optimal growth.

Who discovered huitlacoche?

“It’s nutty and earthy and rich,” says Lance Gummere, executive chef at The Shed at Glenwood, who first discovered huitlacoche—also known as cuitlacoche, Mexican truffle and maize mushroom—15 years ago while working in Shaun Doty’s kitchen at Mumbo Jumbo.

What does huitlacoche smell like?

The canned versions are often black and liquidy. Huitlacoche has a very pungent earthy, sweet yet savory and woody taste with flavors of mushroom and corn. It is harvested two or three weeks after the corn has become infected.

What is black stuff on corn?

The black mold is saprophytic fungi — microorganisms that feed on dead plant material. The wet weather over the weekend followed by warm, humid weather and morning dews have favored growth of these organisms. They are not known to produce toxins, and the harvested grain should look relatively clean.

Why is huitlacoche worth more than regular corn?

While it is technically a plant disease, corn smut is a prized ingredient in Mexican cuisine, and an infected cob is worth significantly more than a regular one. The bulbous blue-black galls that develop retain much of the flavor of the corn, but also contribute a nutty, mushroomy taste that makes it distinctly fungal.