Huitlacoche
Huitlacoche is the edible fungus Ustilago maydis, which swells young corn kernels into gray-black galls. Prized since pre-Hispanic times, it is a rainy-season filling for quesadillas and tacos in central Mexico.
Description
Huitlacoche is a parasitic fungus that grows on tender ears of corn, forming rounded, tumor-like growths whose skin is grayish and whose interior is black. Larousse notes it is abundant in the rainy season from July to September and is one of central Mexico's favorite fungi. A 2011 review in the Revista Iberoamericana de Micología identifies the organism as Ustilago maydis, which can also infect stems and leaves.
Name and history
The same review derives huitlacoche or cuitlacoche from Nahuatl, linked to cuitlatl, excrement, and to a word for black or dark, and records the older name popoyotl, burnt corn. It says the fungus was eaten in pre-Columbian Mexico and valued as a delicacy in Aztec times.
Nutrition and supply
The authors report that huitlacoche contains nearly all essential amino acids, with lysine the most abundant, high levels of oleic and linoleic acids and substantial dietary fiber. Mexico's natural harvest reaches markets mostly in July and August, about 400 to 500 tonnes a year, and controlled inoculation of sweet corn is used to extend the season.
Use
It is cooked as a filling for antojitos such as quesadillas and tacos, and in soups, creams and stews.
Reviews
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See also
References
- "Huitlacoche". Larousse Cocina (Diccionario enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Huitlacoche (corn smut), caused by the phytopathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis, as a functional food". Revista Iberoamericana de Micología 28(2):69-73 (2011). Retrieved 2026-10-10.