Huitlacoche

Huitlacoche, also known as cuitlacoche, corn mushroom, Mexican truffle, or caviar Azteca, is a fungus (Ustilago maydis) that can naturally develop on corn. It is highly seasonal and perishable, though it can be frozen, dried and canned to preserve it. Records from the 1500s indicate that indigenous Mexicans had been eating huitlacoche for some time. Other indigenous peoples, such as the Hidatsa's of the Dakotas also consumed huitlacoche. The flavor is a cross between mushroom and corn. The Troy Community Farm is working with the University of Wisconsin to develop a market for huitlacoche in Madison.
See Huitlacoche Project.

Nutritional information:

• Relatively high levels of unsaturated fatty acids
• Relatively high protein content
• Adequate amounts of all essential amino acids for adults following FAO/WHO/UNU standards

Source: Valverde, M.E. and O. Paredes-Lopez 1993. Food Biotechnology 7(3): 207-219

At Troy Community Farm, Professor Bill Tracy and Graduate Assistant Camilla Vargas are investigating deliberate inoculation of corn to propagate huitlacoche.