Corn smutUstilago maydis
huitlacoche · cuitlacoche · Hongo del elote (Xochimilco, Mexico City) · Kuchichikua terékua (Michoacán) · Kjú tha (Estado de México) · Donthä jo (Tlaxcala)
Ustilago maydis is an edible smut fungus that parasitizes corn and forms swollen galls known as huitlacoche. It grows on ears and other parts of the plant; people seek it out for Mexican cooking and to recognize galls suitable for the kitchen.[3][4][5]
Edible. Eat it cooked. Never eat a wild mushroom identified only from photos.
- Season in Mexico
- HabitatMilpas and corn fields
- FamilyUstilaginaceae
How do you identify corn smut?
Can you eat corn smut?
Young huitlacoche galls are edible. Eat them cooked and collect them for food only after an experienced identifier confirms their identity. Choose moist, tender galls; discard those with powdery interiors or those that have split open to release spores.[3][4][11]
How do you cook corn smut?
In Mexico, huitlacoche is sold fresh, preserved, dried, or freeze-dried. It is sautéed in oil with onion, garlic, chili, and epazote. The cooked mixture is used in quesadillas, tacos, tlacoyos, huaraches, and sopes; it also appears in soups.[6]
Where and when does corn smut grow?
It parasitizes corn (Zea mays) and teosinte. Galls can develop on ears, leaves, stalks, and flowering structures.[1][3]
UNAM reports that market supply in Mexico City peaks in July and August.[1]
The cited studies document natural production in Aguascalientes and strains originating in Estado de México. This list contains the state records verified for this page. Its worldwide distribution follows corn cultivation.[8][9][1]
Names in Mexico
About the name
Mycosarcoma maydis is the name resulting from its transfer to the genus Mycosarcoma. Ustilago maydis remains in the literature and Mexican species accounts; both names refer to the fungus on this page.[7][2][4]
