What does huitlacoche taste like?

Huitlacoche is a prized food in Central America where it is used in soups, enchiladas, tortillas, and many other dishes. It also can be found as a canned product at the grocery store. The taste has been described by different people as being mushroom-like, sweet, savory, woody, earthy, smoky corn-like, or inky.

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.

What is the huitlacoche in English?

Pronounced whee-tla-KO-cheh, huitlacoche is also known as corn mushroom, corn smut or Mexican truffle. It is a fungus, which randomly grows on organic corn (not sprayed with any fungicide). It is rare, as it develops on the corn ears as they ripen after the rainy season or an errant rainstorm.

Is huitlacoche edible?

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.

Is there a substitute for huitlacoche?

~ If you can’t find huitlacoche where you live mushrooms are a good substitute, especially portobello mushrooms with their stronger flavor. ~ Epazote is a wonderful herb that belies description.

What fungus can move?

Slime molds don’t have legs or any appendages. They eat bacteria and tiny fungi. And they move just by changing their shape. “It’s intriguing to understand how they can move when they’re softer than the environment,” said UC San Diego aerospace engineer Juan Carlos del Álamo.

Can you buy huitlacoche?

Instead, huitlacoche is a prized edible delight. Its price on the market—about $15 to $20 per pound—reflects huitlacoche’s culinary status. (You can buy it canned for cheaper, but you shouldn’t: that version is slimy and flavorless.)

Where can I buy huitlacoche in NYC?

Zaragoza Grocery
You can find cans of huitlacoche at Zaragoza Grocery. Zaragoza Grocery, 215 Ave A, New York, NY, 212-780-9204 (map).

Is huitlacoche good for you?

A number of studies have revealed that ‘huitlacoche’ has a high nutritional value, as it is high in protein and in essential amino acids, such as lysine, an amino acid that is commonly deficient in corn protein.

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). Amount of some elements of huitlacoche.

What is the mushroom that grows on corn?

Cuitlacoche
Cuitlacoche grows when a drop of rain seeps into a husk of corn. The moisture rots between the kernels and produces the fungus, which can grow over or side by side with the kernels. It’s still called by its Aztec name, cuitlacoche (pronounced QUEET-la-coh-chay).

What nutrients are in huitlacoche?