Huitlacoche (Corn Truffle) Tacos
Huitlacoche aka Corn Truffle or Corn Smut is a fungus that grows on ears of corn. The spores basically look like kernels that have become big balloon-like mushrooms and while it’s considered a delicacy in Mexico, most American farmers think of huitlacoche as a blight. This makes it really hard to find in America, even in a border city like Laredo. Thankfully we at least managed to get a hold of a canned variety, but in order to try fresh or frozen huitlacoche it seems as though we’ll have to find somewhere that will do mail order (if you’re aware of any vendors let us know!)
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its funny uguys did a video on this. i have actually been thinking about huitlacoche for the last couple days. an odd thing to be thinking about i know. lol. but, i was waiting the whole video for one of you to just say it tastes like this and this and kinda like this. so, until i try it can u please let me know what it kinda taste like lol?
I think rich and earthy is the best way to describe the taste; kind of like a strong mushroom mixed with a little black truffle and the sweetness of corn.
oh and by the way nicole it was funny watching u make faces as u made tortillas.lol. ive never tried it before, im sure i would suck at it.
I have to admit, I cringed while watching this video. The black goop combined with stringy-agg. But I trust you guys when you say it’s tasty…kinda.
I’m impressed with your canned huitlacoche adventure! I’d been curious about huitlacoche for awhile. When I was in Puebla, MX in December taking a cooking class, I tried huitlacoche on arrachera steak at a nice restaurant but it was still not that great. I’m a rather adventurous eater, but I think there are many many other things I would prefer eating.
Oh god, it’s so gross. Haha, my first introduction to corn truffle was from the very funny The Sneeze blog and the “Steve, Don’t Eat It!” features.
The appearance reminds me of a Filipino dish my whole family loves except for me: dinuguan (a blood stew)
How interesting! The canned version doesn’t look very appetizing, but I would not be averse to trying it. Before this video blog, I’d never even heard of huitlacoche. And Nicole, your tortillas were very nice–I thought they were almost perfect!
Thanks! But I truly am a failure when it comes to tortilla making…sigh…
Good for you guys!!
I can’t believe you went ahead and cooked with it. I, sadly, will never be able to try it – the thought turns my stomach
By the way I love that you called it truffles. That made me smile
I was so hoping you guys wouldnt like it to justify my aversion to the sight of this stuff! Now I suppose I will have to look in to it. Thanks again for a great unique treat!
I’d be lying if I said its my absolute favourite thing in the world to eat–but definitely worth a try!
Huh… a quick google search turned up a canned variety made by Goya.
http://www.latinmerchant.com/productdetail.asp?ProductID=FV0052
$7.50 a can, though (at least from that one site; it may be cheaper somewhere else).
Huitlacoche is pretty expensive, I’ve read the fresh stuff costs $20/pound or more. You can get the cans for $5.95 from mexgrocer.com.
I just came across your site via http://www.garrettkern.com/ and have spent the better part o f the afernoon browsing your videos. Great work
Very interesting stuff. I have weakness for black, evil-looking food. My second-favorite chili (after Mom’s Can-Tex classic) looks like a black bowl of death
wow, that looks a lot like wet dirt…
La Estancia on McPherson has this on the menu- can’t think of the name right now, but it is very good. Huitlacoche, onions & jalapeno strips on top of white cheese- gooey goodness
It’s on the menu on the appetizer page, just inside the front cover- I think Queso Cruz Cruz.
I thought La Estancia also had a huitlacoche stuffed dish? I think it is called Sabana … Lorena? Sabana something. Sabana just means chicken beaten thin – like a sheet (sabana). I LOVE the taste of huitlacoche in quesadillas that used to be served at Platos Restaurant in Nuevo Laredo. It closed, though, and there went the yummy quesadillas. Oh well, there is still La Estancia – although I would assume they probably also used the canned variety.
Huitlacoche is cooked using epazote leaves, an aromatic herb frequently used in mexican cuisine (you can get it visiting any Nuevo Laredo fresh-vegetable market) and chopped FRESH jalapeno (the big, thick ones) or “arbol” peppers (green, thin and 5cm long approx.). When properly cooked it has a very delicate taste, but sometimes it has a strong, bitter flavour. If you really want to try it you should visit central Mexico some time… If you can or freeze huitlacoche, its texture changes… In mexico 500g of fresh huitlacoche cost ca. 5USD, but it’s seasonal… you can’t get it fresh all year round… (In my case, I don’t eat it if it’s not fresh… I prefer to wait until it’s huitlacoche season again)
Ohh… what is really really gross is that pre-mixed corn dough you used… OMG I never imagined you could get that even in the US… that colour… as artificial as “Yellow Play Dough”… that was an offense for hand-made tortillas
Haha, you make sound like there is only one huitlacoche recipe, but we’ve come across dozen of different ways to prepare it. We do do love fresh epazote though, we use it all the time when we cook esquites.
As for the masa, i’m not sure how your computer monitor is calibrated, but it is far from “Yellow Play Dough” in real life
There is no artificial colouring, only ingredients are: Corn treated with lime water, Water, Lime, Propionoc/Phosphoric acid (to preserve freshness). We know generally the whitest masa is the best (except the stuff made from yellow corn), but we rarely come across anything better in the markets around here.
As for the dough… I prefer to buy corn flour at the super market… as I’m not a frequent taco-eater I only use two or three tortillas and I prefer to make them than to throw away the 450g I didn’t use. Just tell Nicole that in a couple of times she’ll get ‘pro’ with the tortillas… just need to find the right moisture amount… when you get it right, the dough will unstick from the plastic without efort… and try to make them as thin as possible (practice!). The moisture is easier to control if you use flour… you can add a little more if it’s too moist. You are lucky to be able to cross the border and buy some ingredients… there is a “blue corn” flour variety at the supermarket… you only find “blue tortillas” when you go to small towns and it looks and tastes great… the flour isn’t the same as the “nixtamal” process, but close to it.
Sorry for my thessis on one mexican dish… I’d like that everyone that thinks to have eaten mexican (or any kind of “national” food from any country) would try some really traditional dishes… and enjoy them as much as I do…
Something I really like about canadians is that most of you are really open to other cultures / cuisines
Oh, BTW… I really love Esquites (have you tried esquites made with Cacahuatzintle corn
? that’s hard-core mexican)
Cheers. Over n’out
Great video. It reminds me of the huitlacoche I had in Dallas. Now I’m ready to try my hand at it. Thanks.
As for a source of huitlacoche – Oregon Mushrooms (www.oregonmushrooms.com) is currently selling frozen huitlacoche for $20/lb.