Smut (fungus) - Corn Smut

Corn Smut

Corn smut (Ustilago maydis) infects maize and is a delicacy in Mexico, where it was historically enjoyed by the Aztecs. It grows in the ears of the corn crops and converts the kernels into black, powdery fungal tissues. The smut is sold in the markets in Mexico while other parts of the world (including the United States) continue to reject it as an ingredient for food dishes. The corn smut is currently referenced as huitlacoche to the Mexicans, and the Aztecs formerly called it cuitlacoche. Investigators have recently found that the amount of protein in the corn smuts is said to be greater than the corn, oats and clover hay.

Huitlacoche is used for some of the following recipes:

  • soups
  • stews
  • steak sauces
  • crepes

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