Also known as "Corn smut", "fungus", "Corn Truffle" or "Mexican truffle".
In simple terms Cuitlacoche is a plant disease that grows on ears of corn around the kernels in puffy, grey clouds that look kind of like river stones. But when you take this strange fungus into the culinary world, huitlacoche becomes a delicacy used in all sorts of dishes from soups to enchiladas to sauces.
A favourite and simple Mexican-style succotash can be made from chorizo, onions, garlic, serrano peppers, huitlacoche, and shrimp with salsa taquera. The mild, earthy flavours of the huitlacoche blend nicely with the fats of the chorizo and bond to mellow out the heat from the peppers and salsa.
Another Mayan favourite on the Riviera Maya (Cancun to Tulum ) is to add huitlacoche to omelettes. Once again, its earthy flavours bond with the fats that cook the eggs to mellow the flavours into a truffle-like taste.
Product of Mexico