Ick! You Want Me to Eat What?

I don't know about you, but the fungus growing on this corn doesn't look very appetizing to me. According to Wikipedia:

Corn smut is a disease of maize caused by the pathogenic plant fungus Ustilago maydis. U. maydis causes smut disease on maize (Zea Nays) and teosinte (Euchlena mexicana). Although it can infect any part of the plant it usually enters the ovaries and replaces the normal kernels of the cobs with large distorted tumors analogous to mushrooms. These tumors, or "galls", are made up of much-enlarged cells of the infected plant, fungal threads, and blue-black spores. The spores give the cob a burned, scorched appearance. The name Ustilago comes from the Latin word ustilare (to burn).

The fungus has had difficulty entering into the American and European diets as most farmers see it as blight, despite attempts by government and high profile chefs. In the mid-1990s and due to demand created by high-end restaurants, Pennsylvania and Florida farms were allowed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to intentionally infect corn with huitlacoche. Most observers consider the program to have had little impact, although the initiative is still in progress. Regardless, the cursory show of interest is significant because the USDA has spent a considerable amount of time and money trying to eradicate huitlacoche in the United States. Moreover, in 1989 the James Beard Foundation held a high-profile huitlacoche dinner. This dinner famously tried to get Americans to eat more of it by renaming it the Mexican truffle. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_smut)

If you are interested in trying this new food:

CUITLACOCHE RECIPES

Cooked by the following method, cuitlacoche can be used for crepas, quesadillas, budin, or in plain tacos.

· 3 tablespoons safflower oil
· 2 tablespoons finely chopped white onion
· 2 small garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
· rajas of 4 chiles polbanos
· 1 ½ pounds (about 6 cups) cuitlacoche
· sea salt to taste
· 2 tablespoons roughly chopped epazote leaves

Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and garlic and fry gently until translucent - about 3 minutes. Add the chile strips and fry for 1 minute more. Add the cuitlacoche and salt, cover the pan and cook over medium heat, shaking the pan from time to time for about 15 minutes. The fungus should be tender, retaining some moisture, but not soft and mushy. Stir in the epazote and cook, uncovered, for another 2 minutes.

NOTE: If the cuitlacoche is rather dry, sprinkle on 1/4 cup water before covering; if it is too juicy, remove the lid before the end of the cooking time and reduce over higher heat.
(http://sweetcorn.uiuc.edu/Common-smut/Recipes.htm)