Corn smut, caused by the fungus Ustilago maydis, is considered a nuisance by US corn farmers but is a delicacy in Latin American cuisine, where it is known as huitlacoche. It is used in a variety of dishes and has an earthy, woody, savory yet sweet taste similar to mushrooms. The James Beard Foundation attempted to popularize it as a delicacy in 1989, and farms in the US are now intentionally infecting their corn crops with the fungus to produce huitlacoche.
Corn smut is a fungal infection of corn, or corn, with Ustilago maydis. Among most US corn farmers, it is considered a nuisance. In Latin American cuisine, however, it is eaten.
In Mexico, corn smut is called huitlacoche, a word derived from Nahuatl, possibly meaning “sleep droppings,” “crow droppings,” or “corn droppings.” It replaces corn kernels with fungus-like tumors or galls made up of bluish black spores, fungal threads, and enlarged corn cells. It also reduces the yield of regular corn. In addition to its use in cooking, corn smut can also be used to make silage, a feed for cattle and sheep.
The consumption of corn dust dates back to pre-colonial times, when corn plants were sometimes deliberately infected with the fungus by cutting the plant close to the soil line. Southwestern Native Americans also used corn grain for its medicinal properties, particularly for inducing labor. Huitlacoche must be picked young, or there are too many spores, which causes the gall to dry out. Corn grows best in dry periods, in temperatures of 25°C to 34°C (78°F to 93°F).
Ustilago maydis is required to infect maize at a specific stage in its life cycle. It cannot be maintained under laboratory conditions. Mature spores are released from tumors in the corn kernels and spread by rain and wind.
Corn plants infected with corn smut typically develop disease symptoms. One of the most common is chlorosis, or insufficient chlorophyll production, which leads to yellow or white leaves. Reduced growth can also affect the plant, as can red, blue, or purple pigmentation caused by anthocyanin. Corn also develops a burnt appearance.
In Mexico, huitlacoche is considered a delicacy and is more expensive than corn. It is usually sold fresh, but is sometimes canned as well. It is served in a variety of foods, such as quesadillas and other tortilla-based dishes. Huitlacoche has an earthy, woody, savory yet sweet taste similar to that of mushrooms.
In 1989, the James Beard Foundation, which promotes the culinary arts, attempted to popularize the flavor of corn as a delicacy by holding a high-profile dinner and renaming huitlacoche the “Mexican truffle.” The food gained brief popularity, with farms in Pennsylvania and Florida getting permission from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to intentionally infect their corn crops with Ustilago maydis. The initiative is still ongoing and huitlacoche is increasingly available at farmers’ markets.
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