Huitlacoche – A 21stCentury Culinary Delight Originated in the Aztec Times

Abstract

Common smut or boil smut are the young, fleshy, edible galls produced in the ears of maize (Zea mays) when they are infected by the fungus Ustilago maydis. U. maydis belongs to the Ustilaginales order and has been established as a robust pathogenic model to study fungi and fungi–plant relationships; also, it has been transformed and its genome sequenced. Cuitlacoche or huitlacoche is the Aztecs name given to these galls. In México, it has been traditionally prized and several hundreds of tons of fresh huitlacoche are sold annually; it is also consumed as prepared food or processed in Mexican markets. Currently, it has been appreciated in the US as a gourmet food and can be purchased on the Internet at high prices. Nowadays, it is a culinary delight for international chefs and has been accepted as a food delicacy in many countries and introduced into countless worldwide markets like Japan, China and some of the European Community, as France, Spain and Germany. In addition to its unique flavor, huitlacoche has been identified as a high-quality functional food, and could be included into the daily diet for its attractive characteristics, selected nutrients, valuable compounds, and nutraceutical potential.