There is nothing like an earthy fungus to elevate a dish from ordinary to heavenly. Mushrooms – wild, cultivated, rare, expensive, are used in most international cuisines for their texture and depth of flavour. One of the most unusual of the mushroom family is corn smut, or Huitlacoche, a fungus that grows on ripening ears of corn, overtaking the natural growth; if left to mature, the result is misshapen and delicious spore-laden kernels.
Huitlacoche (pronounced wit-la-kō-chay), a wonderful error of nature, is basically corn smut. The term “Mexican Truffle” is attributed to a Huitlacoche-themed dinner presented at James Beard House in New York, celebrating Mexico’s nouvelle cuisine – old and new, the fusion of ancient Aztec and alto cuisines. Eradicated from crops in most of the world by fungicides, Huitlacoche is generally by necessity, organic. Its rarity and rise on the international culinary scene has meant premium prices for fresh Huitlacoche and experimental infections of otherwise healthy crops in selected areas of the United States.
Fresh, the truffle niblets are firm and smooth, whitish-silver in appearance, with some ashy discolorations. When they are cooked, the Huitlacoche turn black, deeply inky black. Canned Huitlacoche is always black, and is a good substitute when fresh is not available.
I first ate Huitlacoche at Chef Luis Fitch’s Los Xitomates Alta Cocina Mexicana in Puerto Vallarta – he stuffed mushrooms with the fragrant smut, a double fungus whammy, and poured a luxurious Huitlacoche sauce over a perfectly grilled filet of beef. Not far down the street from this 5 star restaurant, I discovered a taco stand where Huitlacoche was fried with onion and garlic, scattered on an oblong huarache, laced with stringy cheese and chiles. A tenth of the price, but 5 star flavour! Those were the days, my friend.
Here in Huatulco, Huitlacoche is rare on menus, even though the wonderful corn fields of Oaxaca are not so far away. One local restaurant, Los Gallos on Carrizal, makes delicious Huitlacoche sopes.
