The “Plague” That Is a Delicacy
BY AWAKE! WRITER IN MEXICO
The corn harvest will be good. It is therefore with a smile of satisfaction that the farmer walks through his fields, examining the ears of corn. He picks one at random, and immediately a black spot attracts his attention. A closer look shows that the ear of corn has some extremely enlarged and distorted soft kernels with a blackish color. When opened, the dark black substance gives off a mushroomlike smell. A parasitic fungus has invaded that ear of corn! Is the crop ruined? No. The farmer smiles, delighted. He contemplates the possibility of harvesting more of it!
THE smoky, sweet flavor of the maize mushroom called huitlacoche, or corn smut, has been enjoyed in Mexico since ancient times. In other countries it is viewed as a delicacy, being called by some the Mexican truffle.
Ustilago maydis is the fungus responsible for the formation of huitlacoche. The fungus invades, to a greater or lesser degree, almost every crop of the Zea mays corn, especially in warm, moderately dry areas. Researchers have found in huitlacoche extracts “three of the four amino acids related with the umami taste.”a (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry) Huitlacoche’s carbohydrate content, higher than that of other edible mushrooms, accounts for the touch of sweetness in its flavor. A large number of aromatic compounds have also been identified in this delicacy—vanillin among them. And although flavor is huitlacoche’s most appealing quality, its nutritional value also deserves to be taken into account, since it contains vitamin C, phosphorus, calcium, and other nutrients.
It is not surprising, then, that huitlacoche was appreciated by the Aztecs, who gave it the name cuitlacochin, meaning “sleeping excrescence [abnormal growth].” Later, its name was changed to the present one. In Mexico huitlacoche is traditionally enjoyed in a quesadilla, that is, in a folded, handmade tortilla. Nevertheless, it is also often used in more elaborate dishes, such as crepes, soups, and sauces. Recently, this mushroom has even entered the genetic researcher’s laboratory, where ways are being studied to make crops render more of it for commercial purposes.
If huitlacoche is available locally, why not try the accompanying recipe.b You’ll wonder how a “plague” can taste so good!
[Footnotes]
a Umami is a word used in Japan to describe what some consider to be the fifth taste, after the four main tastes—sweet, salty, sour, and bitter.
b Canned huitlacoche can sometimes be purchased. In this case, it will probably be processed and ready to use. If refrigerated, huitlacoche can stay fresh for from 8 to 15 days.
[Box/Pictures on page 15]
Preparing Huitlacoche
18 ounces [500 g] (or two 8-ounce [200 g] cans) fresh finely chopped huitlacoche
1 finely chopped medium-size onion (about one cup [200 g])
2-4 finely chopped garlic cloves
2 tablespoons [30 ml] of epazote (chenopodium ambrosioides) or cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons [45 ml] oil
1 tablespoon [15 ml] butter
Salt to taste
Fry the onion and garlic in the oil until they turn transparent. Add the epazote and the huitlacoche. Add the butter and the salt. Stir well. Cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring often.
Use this mixture, either by itself or with meat and cheese, to fill tortillas or crepes, or add it to stock to make a soup. You can also put it in a blender and make it into a puree to accompany meats.