Why Huitlacoche (Corn Smut) is So Expensive | So Expensive

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  • Опубліковано 2 чер 2024
  • Huitlacoche, also known as the "Mexican truffle," is an edible fungus that forms on undeveloped corn ears and sells for as much as $40 a pound. Discovered by the Aztecs, the bulbous fungus has been consumed in Mexico for centuries and has recently become an increasingly popular specialty ingredient around the world.
    However, the US has dedicated significant time and money to keeping its cornfields free of what they call "corn smut" and "the devil's corn." Huitlacoche forms naturally during the rainy season, but farmers can also inject the fungus into their cornfields to harvest the valuable "black gold". So why has Huitlacoche become so popular and what exactly makes it so expensive?
    00:00 - Intro
    00:39 - Huitlacoche Flavor
    01:35 - Cooking with Huitlacoche
    02:26 - Meet the farmers
    03:02 - Harvesting Huitlacoche
    03:17 - How the fungus infects corn
    04:10 - Huitlacoche shelf life
    05:00 -Inoculating the corn
    06:10 - Preventing Inoculation Liquid From Overheating
    06:50 - Protective Gear in the Field
    07:49 - Injecting Improperly
    08:27 - Controlled Infection Rate vs. Natural Infection Rate
    09:25 - Heading to the Market
    10:40 - Huitlacoche in Fine Dining
    11:12 - Price Doubling
    11:44 - Monopolizing the Huitlacoche Market
    12:13 - Huitlacoche Price Changes
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    Why Huitlacoche (Corn Smut) is So Expensive | So Expensive | Business Insider

КОМЕНТАРІ • 778

  • @aierune8201
    @aierune8201 6 місяців тому +1712

    I love how nature is like "Oh heres an infection for your crops!" and humanity is just like "aight bet lets cook it." Love it

    • @wruenvadam
      @wruenvadam 6 місяців тому +119

      Because nature has yet to catch up with the fact that we have been slowly moving from "Hey, that looks dangerous. Should stay away from it," to "That looks dangerous... Wonder what it tastes like?" It truly never ceases to amaze me what people will stick in their mouths to see if its edible.

    • @sudstahgaming
      @sudstahgaming 6 місяців тому

      @@wruenvadam I stuck ya m0m in my mouth lol jk sorry i am 39 going on 10

    • @thanhavictus
      @thanhavictus 6 місяців тому +98

      If you think about it, it's basically mushroom farming that needs corn.

    • @oldevilgreendog
      @oldevilgreendog 6 місяців тому +74

      Well, when you have to chose between "starve to death" and "eat infected crops and just maybe die", you will invent new food or die trying.

    • @Justthemow
      @Justthemow 6 місяців тому +11

      I’m pretty sure that’s bird poop that fermented the corn kernels

  • @amorphous1964
    @amorphous1964 6 місяців тому +147

    This is far more wholesome than what I envisioned when I imagined “corn smut”

    • @Konpekikaminari
      @Konpekikaminari 5 місяців тому +7

      I am glad to see I am not alone

    • @kathrynmcmorrow7170
      @kathrynmcmorrow7170 3 місяці тому +2

      Oh yeah corn cob junkies!

    • @vladislavovod165
      @vladislavovod165 2 місяці тому +1

      This fungus that attacks corn is somewhat similar to the deadly toxic ergot.

  • @theBeastcub
    @theBeastcub 6 місяців тому +478

    I remember being confused as a kid because my parents were visiting somebody with a garden and there was one ear of corn with this growing on it and I thought it looked so strange and gross but the owner was really happy to have it, learned much later in life that it was something considered rare and delicious

    • @joseph1150
      @joseph1150 4 місяці тому +8

      @@WellSwole You are completely wrong about using corn as fuel or sugar being better, and about corn being a filler. Corn is healtier than white rice and comprable to brown rice. You need to process it a bit to avoid Pallegra, but it's not difficult.

    • @dewdodu
      @dewdodu 4 місяці тому

      @@WellSwole We know the long term effects of eating infectious fungus because every fungus is infectious. Everything from beer, soy sauce, cheese, vinegar, medicine, to drugs, and while we are unfamiliar with this it was consumed by the Aztec. Mushroom that are safe to eat is a great source of lean vegan protein, I challenge myself for lent on cutting out meat and a great deal of it was eating the vast variety of fungus with some being dead ringers like chicken, lobster, or shrimp.
      I also learn its one of the few non-meat sources of bio-available B-12 vitamins and food source of Vitamin D. Of course mushroom are also known to kill you in horrifying ways.

    • @rosehirstius
      @rosehirstius 3 місяці тому +3

      ​@@WellSwoleif you're fine eating blue cheeses, this probably won't be an issue either! Corn is also a staple grain crop, like rye, barley, and rice. It shouldn't be written off as garbage, it's been sustaining life for centuries!

  • @nadiahassan5307
    @nadiahassan5307 6 місяців тому +175

    “A lot of the people say it’s the food of the gods but I don’t know any gods”
    Best line ever in a story about corn fungus 😂

    • @nandinhocunha440
      @nandinhocunha440 6 місяців тому +5

      They also say alcohol is gods nector

    • @J.S.I-
      @J.S.I- 6 місяців тому

      Allah . Self sufficient Master. Free of any Need.
      He does not need eat or drink , sleep or rest.
      Discover Islam and Learn about qualities and attributes of your Creator.
      May Allah guide you.

    • @nandinhocunha440
      @nandinhocunha440 6 місяців тому +8

      @@J.S.I- dude just no

    • @danaa-
      @danaa- 3 місяці тому +1

      ​@@J.S.I-muslim brother, not now.

    • @umbrah
      @umbrah 12 днів тому

      ambrosia

  • @susanperrier8046
    @susanperrier8046 6 місяців тому +754

    I saw lots of this growing in a cornfield in France during a particularly damp summer. My in-laws thought I was crazy to pick some and serve it sauteed on tortillas but the whole family agreed (after a cautious taste) that it was not only edible but delicious. It's important to harvest it when it is still firm and a light blue color.

    • @quentinalb.3479
      @quentinalb.3479 6 місяців тому +13

      Oui le charbon du maïs est assez commun, mais je n'aurais jamais imaginé que le puisse le consommer 😅

    • @erzsebetkovacs2527
      @erzsebetkovacs2527 6 місяців тому +13

      But is it the same species?

    • @Nainara32
      @Nainara32 6 місяців тому +10

      I never heard of this before. Maybe I'll eat it in a fancy restaurant some day.

    • @kolapso3687
      @kolapso3687 6 місяців тому +8

      Ça à l'air parfaitement dégueulasse à première vu lol. Mais ça m'a donné envie de gouter!

    • @igorjee
      @igorjee 6 місяців тому +4

      @@erzsebetkovacs2527 Igen. Én a gangon próbáltam termeszteni, sajnos sikertelenül. Majd ha egyszer lesz egy kertem...

  • @CBlargh
    @CBlargh 6 місяців тому +304

    They missed the most important part! Huitlacoche makes the corn more nutritionally complete. There was a recent study that suggests that only through transforming the corn with the funghus could Native agriculture have supported the vast numbers of people we know it supported. It's similar to the way in which leafcutter ants transform leaf litter to more nutritious food using funghus.

    • @ImpetuousPorkus
      @ImpetuousPorkus 6 місяців тому +25

      What’s also really cool is that pesticides have to stop being sprayed by other farms for the fungus to grow as well! Forcing farmers to grow an organic product.

    • @bobloblaw9679
      @bobloblaw9679 5 місяців тому +8

      using lime with the corn also unlocks nutrients.....
      people figure out what to do to survive

    • @CBlargh
      @CBlargh 5 місяців тому +7

      @@bobloblaw9679 Limes are a critical source of vitamin C for many people! I wouldn't doubt that pre-Columbian Natives did have access to similar fruits, but they didn't have access to what we would call a lime. Citruses originated in the old world.

    • @CBlargh
      @CBlargh 5 місяців тому

      @@randyrodriguez2492 I should have bookmarked it. I can't find it now. I may have heard it in a Science Friday re-run. These are the resources I found. It seems to increase the amount of lysine... "A Hideous Fungus, A Nutritious Snack", Chris Benjamin, February 18, 2015, Science Friday, NPR... "Nutrition, safety, market status quo appraisal of emerging functional food corn smut (huitlacoche)", Seema Patel, 2016, "Trends in Food Science & Technology"

    • @hashkangaroo
      @hashkangaroo 5 місяців тому +11

      @CBlargh Lime, as in _limestone dissolved in water._

  • @a-ramenartist9734
    @a-ramenartist9734 6 місяців тому +83

    I had a huitlacoche quesadilla once and it was the first mushroom I ever liked. Now I love mushrooms, muchas gracias huitlacoche!

  • @dillydilly7693
    @dillydilly7693 6 місяців тому +182

    Some of my corn developed this. I looked up a recipe online and fixed it. It was delicious!

    • @simplyandrandomlysane8208
      @simplyandrandomlysane8208 6 місяців тому +7

      We threw ours away... We had never seen something like that before and it scared us.

    • @thatsawesome2060
      @thatsawesome2060 6 місяців тому +16

      ​@@simplyandrandomlysane8208it's look terrible, but the more expensive than the corn.

    • @stawbury7413
      @stawbury7413 6 місяців тому +4

      @@simplyandrandomlysane8208typical western human

    • @muddyhotdog4103
      @muddyhotdog4103 6 місяців тому

      @@stawbury7413 when in doubt, throw it out.. may be typical of some, but it's a smarter outlook tbf

    • @muddyhotdog4103
      @muddyhotdog4103 6 місяців тому +20

      @@stawbury7413 In terms of food -when in doubt, throw it out.. May be typical of some, but it's a smarter outlook tbf. Tho I'm sure you were playing

  • @melindawolfUS
    @melindawolfUS 6 місяців тому +190

    Nutritionally, corn is very difficult to digest. If it's used as the primary food source for a long period of time, it can lead to malnutrition diseases if it's not treated to make certain vitamins more available for digestion. But Huitlacoche actually converts many of the starches in corn into highly beneficial amino acids! I like seeing it's rise in popularity especially because our food in the US is typically very nutritionally poor. Our veggies have been bred for long shelf-lives and NOT for nutritional benefit. I haven't found fresh Huitlacoche where I'm at in a small town in Utah, but I'll be excited to try it on my next trip to California

    • @johnnywapstra9973
      @johnnywapstra9973 6 місяців тому +16

      I remember watching a Michael Mosley program about how humans need 11 proteins to survive, but only 9 are available through vegetables, with the last 2 being available through animal sources (= mushrooms), and it showed this Mexican delicacy...

    • @Demopans5990
      @Demopans5990 6 місяців тому +6

      Probably like a lot of mushrooms in taste.

    • @Auani_00
      @Auani_00 6 місяців тому +27

      This was solved long ago through the process of nixtamalization first developed in Mesoamerica. Masa is a staple for various dishes and rich in niancin. The process was not brought over to Europe leading to outbreaks of pellagra.

    • @giovannirojas3952
      @giovannirojas3952 6 місяців тому +10

      Corn has been eaten in the America's for damn near a millennia with no issues. Wtf are you talking about?

    • @melindawolfUS
      @melindawolfUS 6 місяців тому +16

      @@giovannirojas3952 If you wanted more info you could have easily Googled it or asked nicely. But instead you showed revealed yourself as being without basic manners. Your comment is worthless to this conversation.

  • @ggximenez
    @ggximenez 6 місяців тому +163

    Mexico is full of unique flavors. I never imagined that a infected corn cob would be a delicacy. I would definitely try.

    • @janemyfoodandflowers7726
      @janemyfoodandflowers7726 6 місяців тому +10

      The texture and flavor is between mushroom and omelet, if you are wondering. I grow sweet corn few years with a layer of mulch and this corn smut happened so I tried.

    • @Den99973
      @Den99973 6 місяців тому +5

      Gave me a full day of diarrhea for being adventurous. 😅

    • @johnb7046
      @johnb7046 6 місяців тому +6

      Seek it out, it's absolutely delicious!

    • @kimkim-mh7bv
      @kimkim-mh7bv 5 місяців тому +1

      They don't have anything to eat so they do so. You guys are nap going to eat like that😂🎉

    • @moguel1524
      @moguel1524 3 місяці тому +1

      ​@@kimkim-mh7bvdid you just didn't watch the video at all?

  • @iancr8199
    @iancr8199 6 місяців тому +136

    I'm glad it is way more affordable over here 🇲🇽 It's a versatile, tasty ingredient for many local dishes. You should really try it-preferably not in a luxurious way, though, but in one of our many traditional dishes, like a quesadilla. 👌🏼

  • @poorwotan
    @poorwotan 6 місяців тому +98

    One of the most delicious things I've eaten in my life. Learned about it years ago while on a pre-cruise stay in Acapulco and never looked back. I now actively look for it when I go to Mexican restaurants!

  • @MsMorganThorne
    @MsMorganThorne 6 місяців тому +42

    I first tried this in DF about 10 years ago and LOVED it! I had no idea what it was when I tried it. The lady selling the quesadillas thought it was pretty funny to tell me what it was after I ate it and liked it. I guess a lot of gringos found it distasteful, I just ordered another one :) I highly recommend finding local street vendors who look popular when travelling and asking what's good - you might find something delicious.

    • @lilliewilliams3331
      @lilliewilliams3331 6 місяців тому

      Gringo is a racist derogatory term that racist Mexicans use to describe white people. It is like the "n" word. This is hate speech and should not be tolerated.

  • @YummyLADanish
    @YummyLADanish 6 місяців тому +55

    This stuff is delicious! I first tried it from a street vendor in LA who was serving it in a quesadilla made with handmade tortillas. Subtle and sweet doesn't even cover the flavor. Just really really good.

    • @ironhell813
      @ironhell813 5 місяців тому

      Hefner would be proud.

    • @august1875
      @august1875 5 місяців тому

      You people would even eat shit if it tasted good

    • @danschneider9921
      @danschneider9921 15 днів тому

      There are a lot of funguses growing in LA

  • @EnglishApache26
    @EnglishApache26 6 місяців тому +104

    Let’s be honest, A LOT of what we eat was someone somewhere seeing something and was like “Hmm….I wonder if I can eat this?”

    • @Susweca5569
      @Susweca5569 6 місяців тому +13

      My sincere gratitude to all the brave human beings that came before me who tried all the unknown things and found out which did and didn't work for our well being. An extra special thanks to the poir souls who were willing to try it and failed so no one else would try it again.

    • @sakurashogun
      @sakurashogun 6 місяців тому +4

      I still marvel at the brave souls that figured out how to eat almonds. Raw almonds are filled with cyanide and only through heat like roasting them does it get deactivated. You can't legally buy raw almonds in the US because of this, and any that are labeled as raw are in fact not raw at all XD

    • @zenmaster8826
      @zenmaster8826 6 місяців тому +2

      @@sakurashogun
      Must have been a trip as well.. to see which mushrooms are edible..🤣🤣

    • @sakurashogun
      @sakurashogun 6 місяців тому +1

      @@zenmaster8826 Acorns are another good example. They are filled with a lot of alkaloid compounds which are a no no, but the native americans figured out that the alkaloids in acorns are water soluble. So acorn flour is made by drying the acorns, grinding them into a flour, then taking them to a river and repeatedly soaking it in the water and letting it leech out and be carried away. That is a lot of steps. A lot of steps someone had to figure out, and it all started with, 'huh that squirrel eats em' so maybe I can too.' Btw acorn pancakes are delish. XD

    • @rivaa.5419
      @rivaa.5419 4 місяці тому

      ⁠@@sakurashogun once apon a time, when I was way younger I heard acorns were edible and found one on a roadside and ate it without doing anything else.

  • @idali6144
    @idali6144 6 місяців тому +39

    Las quesadillas de huitlacoche con queso y de quelite con papa, así como tlacoyos de frijol y haba con nopales, son mi desayuno preferido en los mercados de la CDMX. Consuman sano y local.

  • @seyer-leinadodnavo4250
    @seyer-leinadodnavo4250 6 місяців тому +232

    When I was 4 years old my parents showed me how to find this huitlacoche and I have to say this is a delicacy that it’s been in a Mayan and Aztecs diet for millennial.

    • @victorlinares4137
      @victorlinares4137 6 місяців тому +4

      So your experience backs up a historical fact or are you just rambling?

    • @chipsammich2078
      @chipsammich2078 6 місяців тому

      ​@@victorlinares4137 Are you making some kind of knowledgeable statement or just being an a$$hole? Hard to tell

    • @samuraiboi2735
      @samuraiboi2735 6 місяців тому +7

      ​@@victorlinares4137hows that rambling? He just said his story from his younger days

    • @chingizzhylkybayev8575
      @chingizzhylkybayev8575 6 місяців тому

      ​@@samuraiboi2735it's just that his sentence is not properly structured so it's hard to tell

    • @samuraiboi2735
      @samuraiboi2735 6 місяців тому +5

      @@chingizzhylkybayev8575 i mean not all speak english as a first language i just dont think speaking historical facts or his childhood is rambling his parents may had said this had been the food his ancestors ate or something idk his parents but thats what he may try to imply

  • @Freebyrd1991
    @Freebyrd1991 6 місяців тому +112

    Well that was interesting. I love seeing people make an honest living straight from mother nature. As much as $40 a pound is awesome. I wish the farmers and everyone pictured a great season 🙏

  • @Alenoir88
    @Alenoir88 6 місяців тому +9

    It used to make me very happy to go to the country side with my parents during the corn harvest season looking for this fungus. I used to pass the time with my mom gathering some of it. I miss those days. I love you, mom ❤.

  • @OddWoz
    @OddWoz 6 місяців тому +137

    I’d try it for sure. It all sounds fantastic to me and has to be a wonderful value for small Mexican farmers. I hope this continues to trend upward and Mexico can hold on to it as a strong cultural export. The potential to help small farmers just seems immense, as long as production is not allowed to be taken over by large corporations.

    • @CBlargh
      @CBlargh 6 місяців тому +5

      It's pretty good! It tastes to me a little like meat.

    • @Burnt-Bronze_1
      @Burnt-Bronze_1 6 місяців тому

      Why would you want to do this. All your life. You never thought about.
      Until someone changed the narratives and now. It’s IT FACTOR. so now you want to try it.

    • @ausername7470
      @ausername7470 6 місяців тому +2

      The cartel won't let that happen without bloodshed and slavery.

    • @HecFCovPe
      @HecFCovPe 6 місяців тому

      ​@@ausername7470STFU, you don't even know what you're talking about

  • @empirex334
    @empirex334 4 місяці тому +5

    I had this at a mexican restaurant once. They called it corn mushroom. I love mushroom anything, so i ordered it. It literally tastes like a kernel of corn had a baby with a mushroom. It was delicious.

  • @emmakikundwa885
    @emmakikundwa885 6 місяців тому +14

    It also grows on sorghum. We used to eat it when i was young in the 80s. Mostly harvested from sorghum in bakiga culture in Uganda. We call it engulirwa. We steam it and add salt.

    • @JcoleMc
      @JcoleMc 6 місяців тому

      Is Sorghum still cultivated in Uganda ?

    • @emmakikundwa885
      @emmakikundwa885 6 місяців тому

      @@JcoleMc yes in the south western of the country. It is used in indigenous beverages alcoholic and non alcoholic.

  • @Susweca5569
    @Susweca5569 6 місяців тому +20

    I've always wondered who the first person was to see something like that and say, "Yeah, I'm going to eat that gross looking corn smut, and hey, it's delicious!"

  • @melodyparra2960
    @melodyparra2960 6 місяців тому +83

    This is just like the quinoa episode. Quinoa was a beloved food, staple for a lot of people in one culture then what happened was someone else from a far away culture comes and sees all this benefits and takes up so much of it it’s blocks and keep the original people who have been using it as a food staple for years out

    • @GENERALWACKASS
      @GENERALWACKASS 6 місяців тому +9

      Can’t wait for Bat Shit Penicillin soup on my table

    • @WhuDhat
      @WhuDhat 6 місяців тому +3

      or the fermented spit "beer"

    • @realgrilledsushi
      @realgrilledsushi 6 місяців тому +6

      As long as they get profit. It’s okay.

    • @reidleblanc3140
      @reidleblanc3140 6 місяців тому +4

      aint our fault that shit is good. if countries are concerned the international market will take too much food from their own people they can put sanctions in place.

    • @pjacobsen1000
      @pjacobsen1000 6 місяців тому +1

      Can't they just grow more quinoa?

  • @hanspecans
    @hanspecans 5 місяців тому +7

    The first time I tried this I couldn’t believe how good it was.

  • @mfburns7909
    @mfburns7909 6 місяців тому +10

    I would love to be able to have a Huitlacoche Quesadilla. I think I would love Huitlacoche

  • @needmoreramsay
    @needmoreramsay 6 місяців тому +15

    I grew 7 corn stalks in my small garden and got ONE cob that went smut. The other 8-9 were normal and various sizes from baby to normal.

  • @donacianofuentes7817
    @donacianofuentes7817 6 місяців тому +38

    Aqui en México se siembra diferentes tipo de maiz organico , algo que las empresas como monsato quiere desaparecer , pero el maiz siempre da el huitlacoche algo que aprecian mucho en la gastronomía de México

  • @tintansigloXXI
    @tintansigloXXI 6 місяців тому +11

    Me sorprendió lo perfecto que dijo huitlacoche

  • @pjacobsen1000
    @pjacobsen1000 6 місяців тому +26

    Fascinating! I have never tried this, and didn't even know of its existence.

    • @erikadlloyd5586
      @erikadlloyd5586 6 місяців тому

      I know, right? now I'm curious and I have to try it😅

    • @ironhell813
      @ironhell813 5 місяців тому

      Rule 34 I suppose…

  • @TreySinatra
    @TreySinatra 6 місяців тому +45

    As a mexican who was born in Baja California and lived in California my whole life I have never tried Huitlacoche, it looks so good and can't wait to try it. Hopefully they sell it somewhere here in LA!

    • @yuusucc996
      @yuusucc996 6 місяців тому

      Nobody asked for your life story

    • @anbar1179
      @anbar1179 6 місяців тому +2

      The Guelaguetza restaurant used to make a quesadilla with huitlacoche.
      They may still make it. It's in L.A.

    • @pie4889
      @pie4889 6 місяців тому

      Best mole place, too!😂

    • @B.Mega.D
      @B.Mega.D 6 місяців тому +1

      The first part of your sentence makes NO SENSE...wtf?

    • @johnb7046
      @johnb7046 6 місяців тому +4

      @@B.Mega.D Baja California is in Mexico genius

  • @needmoreramsay
    @needmoreramsay 6 місяців тому +24

    Farmers:
    "DANG IT !!! My crops are HEALTHY !!"😢

  • @cinemaipswich4636
    @cinemaipswich4636 6 місяців тому +18

    Ergot on wheat turned out to be interesting too. It became popular in the psychedelic 1960's.

    • @Demopans5990
      @Demopans5990 6 місяців тому +2

      Or that rye fungus that was basically LSD

    • @seifeir6951
      @seifeir6951 6 місяців тому

      @@Demopans5990that is another variety of ergot

    • @BinaryBlueBull
      @BinaryBlueBull 6 місяців тому

      @@Demopans5990 That's what cinemaipswich4636 was saying. Ergot is that fungus, though to make it into LSD you need a very, very complicated chemical process. There are many different kinds of ergot, but the one used for LSD is, among others, claviceps purpurea which indeed grows on rye, wheat and some other plants

    • @johnb7046
      @johnb7046 6 місяців тому +1

      This is suspected in the Salem witch trials and other like historical events

  • @johnjoe69
    @johnjoe69 6 місяців тому +5

    I used to eat this regularly for decades. Still one of my favorites.

  • @curlyhairdudeify
    @curlyhairdudeify 6 місяців тому +18

    Huitlacoche only infects unpollinated, and damaged corn? Yet it was a problem for American farmers in the USA.... What a considerate fungus.
    Creating food out of barren corn.
    And yes, huitlacoche quesadillas ARE a delicacy. I went to Mexico, and the quesadilla lady wouldn't sell to me the last huitlacoche serving (quesadilla) because it was for her.
    I settled for a regular champignon quesadilla with beef trippe.

  • @cosmicgirl7288
    @cosmicgirl7288 6 місяців тому +8

    I grew up on this! It’s delicious 🤤❤ 🇲🇽 my favorite dish with cheese and fresh tortillas. My grandma would make it for me!.

  • @williambond913
    @williambond913 6 місяців тому +3

    Exactly how lobster was rediscovered as a delicacy we use to think of it as a pest and would only feed it to the peasants and as soon as the more fortunate see less fortunate enjoying something they must try to buy and collect all of the happiness they have lost along the way back by making it theirs

  • @johnnywapstra9973
    @johnnywapstra9973 6 місяців тому +85

    I used to grow heirloom corn, and year after year it would get infected until I've now given up. Now you teach me it's a delicacy. I'm completely humiliated through my ignorance. Colonial arrogance damages our existence...😢

    • @MoreEvilThanYahweh
      @MoreEvilThanYahweh 6 місяців тому +22

      It's a great silver lining, but at the end of the day people who want actual corn still get shafted by this fungus

    • @sunwukonggoku
      @sunwukonggoku 6 місяців тому +3

      It tastes really good with the right ingredients

    • @lilliewilliams3331
      @lilliewilliams3331 6 місяців тому +16

      Colonial ignorance? Colonial arrogance? Self hatred because you did not know something about corn? You are walking around with a "kick me" sign on your back aren't you?

    • @kissit012
      @kissit012 6 місяців тому +1

      @@MoreEvilThanYahwehshafted is a weird term for something more nutritious and easily digested than corn.

    • @kissit012
      @kissit012 6 місяців тому +2

      @@lilliewilliams3331not a single person with functioning brain cells should be proud of colonial history. The world has not been better off since then and we have spent generations recovering from the damages and loss of culture, science, historical truths, rights, and resources

  • @codysaunders7348
    @codysaunders7348 5 місяців тому +36

    It grows naturally on my corn, even way up here in Canada. I'm a mushroom cultivator by trade and it seems to me they've overcomplicated the inoculation procedure, or at least their supplier has. Simply wait for the mature kernals to burst with black spores, collect the spores, place into a nutrient less solution, and inject. Should be no issue with temperatures. Ill test it out for myself and find out

    • @jeffarcher400
      @jeffarcher400 4 місяці тому +1

      Maybe try to establish mycelium in the soil and it would become a permanent biomass interwoven with the corn roots.
      We could be missing something important.
      This could enrich the soil. Perhaps it's how the ancient civilizations created the black soil that doesn't need fertilizers.

    • @codysaunders7348
      @codysaunders7348 4 місяці тому +5

      @@jeffarcher400 it won't grow in the soil, its dependent on the reproductive cycle of the corn. It's not a mycorrhizal species, so it won't grow in association with roots - unfortunately. Just a simple fungal pathogen that turned out to be a great edible

    • @grapefruitsyrup8185
      @grapefruitsyrup8185 4 місяці тому +3

      Wow and I thought farmers didn't need education, but u guys seems like research chemist lol.

    • @codysaunders7348
      @codysaunders7348 4 місяці тому

      @@grapefruitsyrup8185 A LOT of variables to account for when your a simple farmer 😉

    • @EricM-gm5wz
      @EricM-gm5wz 4 місяці тому +1

      “I’ll test it to find out “ but let me criticize their inoculation process assuming my process is less complicated when they’ve been growing and inoculating the crop for hundreds of years . “Should be no issues with temperature” but literally does better in hot dry weather😂

  • @IronBridge1781
    @IronBridge1781 6 місяців тому +8

    I wonder if, in an alternate universe, sentient corn is infecting fields of humans with a “Last of Us” style cordyceps fungus…

  • @justinblin
    @justinblin 6 місяців тому +5

    Kinda sad the business insider channel logo changed, I quite liked the old one

  • @cavemanbadbones1568
    @cavemanbadbones1568 6 місяців тому +7

    Let's hope these fine people are getting paid alot more for breaking their backs picking these corns ears. Usually they don't and are treated like animals. Blessings be upon these hard working good people.

  • @luchirimoya
    @luchirimoya 4 місяці тому +1

    Okay but can we appreciate the narrator's pronunciation whenever she had to pronounce Spanish words and names? She did amazingly

  • @joshyoung1440
    @joshyoung1440 5 місяців тому +1

    9:07 "Fresh huitlacoche is still the most popular choice, since that's what most people prefer." Yes thank you for this definition of the word "popular"

  • @TheJoungRed
    @TheJoungRed 6 місяців тому +3

    Everytime i go out to eat quesadillas with my girlfriend, I always eat a quesadilla de huitlacoche first and then a quesadilla de flor de calabaza (pumpkin flower quesadilla). The absolute best to start. I find the bitter taste of huitlacoche quite tasty.

    • @johnb7046
      @johnb7046 6 місяців тому +1

      Squash blossoms is another word for flor de calabaza. And those two you mentioned are two of my favorites. Perfect meal right there!

  • @victor17m
    @victor17m 6 місяців тому +4

    I just tried a few weeks ago for the first time in houston and it was very delicious 😋

  • @northamericanintercontinen3207
    @northamericanintercontinen3207 6 місяців тому +4

    Y’all got no idea how good huitlacoche is
    I’ve prepared it as base for a fillet mignon sauce as duxelles for beef Wellington and ofc in quesadillas and pizza

  • @thegoodlookinorange1986
    @thegoodlookinorange1986 6 місяців тому +5

    Sad it’s a dying culture for the small farmers. I want a quesadilla. Looks 🔥.👍

  • @fredlal
    @fredlal 6 місяців тому +4

    I won t touch this with a 10 meter pole this look like the start of a zombie Apocalypse corn

  • @angelavila9452
    @angelavila9452 6 місяців тому +2

    Love huitlacoche ive only had it a handful of times

  • @FimbongBass
    @FimbongBass 6 місяців тому +8

    Heard so much about this for so long, defiantly want to try it but have yet to

  • @PotooBurd
    @PotooBurd 4 місяці тому

    This is so informative! Great job, fantastic reporting!🌻🌼🐝 Keep it up 🙌

  • @sophroniel
    @sophroniel 6 місяців тому +3

    I mean yeah, if you're trying (and needing) to grow corn as a staple crop and it's all turning to fungus that is an issue, because it can be eaten, sure, but only fresh, whereas maize is mostly dried, ground to different fineness to make flour, meal etc as a staple product for use in so many foods throughout the year. It's just like you can't sustain yourself on-or store for any length of time greater than a week or two-something like truffles. They might be a delicious delicacy but if your crop of wheat turns into mushrooms you'd be understandably p¡ssed off.
    But if the odd ear turns, why not make the best of it and eat the delicious huitlacoche? That makes perfect sense and is economically minded! But you'd still be distressed if your entire crop that you use to sustain your family through the winter turns into huitlacoche.

  • @chansaechao79
    @chansaechao79 6 місяців тому +3

    I love mushrooms so I need to find this somewhere nearby so I can try it.

  • @andrewzwaniga2016
    @andrewzwaniga2016 6 місяців тому +1

    Being a scientist, I’m always happy to see when science makes a positive impact on a cultural phenomenon like this. Also I’m always interested to learn about new innovations in the world of fungi, there is so much that I don’t know about it.

  • @user-wj7fh8ee1d
    @user-wj7fh8ee1d 6 місяців тому +13

    IN MEXICO PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EATING
    HUITLACOCHE FOR CENTURY'S
    THE HUITLACOCHE TACOS ARE REAL GOOD !!!

  • @josejosefino7361
    @josejosefino7361 6 місяців тому +1

    This fungus has made to many renowned and popular songs too.

  • @JLVera
    @JLVera 6 місяців тому +2

    jezz the secret is out!! this is one of the true mexican delicatess

  • @tigwhite883
    @tigwhite883 6 місяців тому +1

    I have eaten huitlacoche only once , I was on a trip and we found an old lady selling it beside the road in the middle of nowhere in the jungle she was making tortillas from scratch and cooking using wood it was kinda of good.

  • @ovh992
    @ovh992 6 місяців тому +3

    I saw it in nyc in a taco bar and I asked the cook how he got a hold of it and he said that you can buy it canned. So look for it in the canned section in mexican grocery stores.

    • @johnb7046
      @johnb7046 6 місяців тому

      I've never seen it still

  • @aroundandround
    @aroundandround 5 місяців тому

    Who is this narrator? She can talk about anything and the soothing voice and lovely accent alone are engaging enough.

  • @whathappened2230
    @whathappened2230 6 місяців тому +2

    Gonna try it if I can find it!

  • @Touyube8811
    @Touyube8811 6 місяців тому

    Did anyone else read about huitlacoche in "Any Small Goodness"? I've been fascinated ever since!

  • @angeldreamzzz9692
    @angeldreamzzz9692 6 місяців тому +1

    ITS FIRE 🔥 🔥

  • @fvrrljr
    @fvrrljr Місяць тому

    Huitlacoche is a favorite dish whenever i can indulge with this delicacy 😋😋😋

  • @geophrie8272
    @geophrie8272 6 місяців тому +3

    A family friend used to grow this stuff and it's SOOOO good

  • @blessingmasawi3616
    @blessingmasawi3616 6 місяців тому +3

    *"now that Michelin star restaurants are serving it, the fungus has been elevated"* *because of course the incas needed your permission for their centuries old delixacy to be, indeed a delicacy.... Wait tjat doesn't make sense does it?*

  • @tylerwestover234
    @tylerwestover234 6 місяців тому +2

    Thanks for showing us your trade secret. We can grow it in USA now. 😂

  • @mrjason9382
    @mrjason9382 6 місяців тому

    Thanks for sharing

  • @the_meccaneer
    @the_meccaneer 6 місяців тому +1

    I love this stuff.

  • @lemonmarmalade4242
    @lemonmarmalade4242 5 місяців тому +1

    my family used to grow corn every year in a small patch compared to the rest of the farm and we would get these alot to the point we couldnt sell most of our corn to farmers markets and had to give it to a pig we had. people in california arent too fond of weird looking black corn growths so we stopped growing it and focused more on zucchini and tomatoes because we could sell that and often times people enjoyed zucchini when it cross pollinated because it resulted in cool color patterns

  • @Erickchicas
    @Erickchicas 6 місяців тому +1

    I'm a fan of huitlacoche.

  • @ruelseenagoal3630
    @ruelseenagoal3630 6 місяців тому +1

    I plan to Plant this kind of Corn Smut

  • @Eleora1997Msia
    @Eleora1997Msia 6 місяців тому +1

    Mushroom Pop Corn ...
    sounds interesting and worth it to try

  • @galacticwarlock2271
    @galacticwarlock2271 6 місяців тому

    This stuff is so good. I love it. What is funny is it was considered trash and now it's $40 a lb.

  • @gustavotuler9508
    @gustavotuler9508 6 місяців тому +2

    La boda del Huytlacoche 🔊🔊🔊

  • @peureda
    @peureda 6 місяців тому +4

    Not everyone is as talented to write corn smut, hence its rareity and price tag

    • @ironhell813
      @ironhell813 5 місяців тому

      Must be European import then, stuff in America is dirt cheap.

    • @peureda
      @peureda 5 місяців тому

      @@ironhell813 I'm thinking it's an asian import

  • @Lonesome__Dove
    @Lonesome__Dove 6 місяців тому

    I've got to try this asap

  • @pheona1164
    @pheona1164 5 місяців тому +1

    😬My mom and dad would serve this to us as kids. When we got old enough to refuse the plate, they stopped. lol

  • @RogersTM87
    @RogersTM87 4 місяці тому

    I'd actually like to try this.. I've never seen this before!

  • @keillorchristoph
    @keillorchristoph 6 місяців тому +6

    Will this stuff grow in Montana? Here we don't have a large agricultural system devoted to Corn so I don't have to worry about it accidentally spreading but will it grow on corn here in Montana

    • @davidy22
      @davidy22 6 місяців тому +1

      Opening of the video has plenty of names american farmers gave it, it grows just fine in america

    • @keillorchristoph
      @keillorchristoph 6 місяців тому

      @@davidy22 yes Montana is in America are growing season is kind of short and a little wonky will this stuff grow in zone 3 or is it just in corn it will grow so if corn grows this stuff will grow

    • @davidy22
      @davidy22 6 місяців тому

      @@keillorchristoph It's hard to get it to not grow on corn, but american farmers will usually treat it as ruined crop and throw it out because they won't be watching the corn regularly enough to catch the harvest window for infected corn

  • @invisi-bullexploration2374
    @invisi-bullexploration2374 6 місяців тому

    'smut' is such a fun word to say!

  • @CesarAnton
    @CesarAnton 6 місяців тому +11

    Ohh it's soooo good... Huitlacoche tacos is a Mexico City classic

  • @omacjames1969
    @omacjames1969 6 місяців тому +1

    This is education for me wow,!

  • @heyyou381
    @heyyou381 4 місяці тому

    I grow huitlacoche every year in my backyard garden but I don’t need to inject it with any type of fungus nor do I beat the corn to give it holes or damage it.
    I do this to half of the corn I grow which is about 24 stalks and I get a good amount of it too.
    I also store it in the fridge until my wife is ready to prepare it and nothing happens to it.
    I guess I’m one of the blessed ones. To be honest, it tastes really good if you like mushroom/corn taste.
    My wife loves it but it was an acquired taste for me. Now I can’t wait until spring time comes so I could plant my corn seeds and get my huitlacoche.

  • @Jimmyxsx
    @Jimmyxsx 6 місяців тому +1

    Its delicious I’ve tried in a quesadilla when I traveled to Cabo San Lucas Mex.

  • @firstnameiskowitz8493
    @firstnameiskowitz8493 6 місяців тому

    Two slang words for... that! Well done!

  • @brianmorris364
    @brianmorris364 6 місяців тому +1

    Ive been pitching ears with smut on them out into the woods for years so it didnt infect my other stalks. It grows like wildfire on corn here in NE Ohio. I prefer my corn fungus free. I should start giving it to my mexican buddies i guess lol

  • @wokeness420
    @wokeness420 4 місяці тому

    I have never heard of this, but I would like to try it.

  • @jaxx9204
    @jaxx9204 13 днів тому

    So good actually

  • @CleopatraPhilopator
    @CleopatraPhilopator 6 місяців тому

    La neta sí está bien bueno, a mi me encantan las quesadillas con huitlacoche 👌

  • @groundzero9800
    @groundzero9800 6 місяців тому +2

    Lol I was shocked to know that thing is so expensive also it can eat it, we only ignored that thing in our corn plantation and also other farmers didn't even care that thing😂😂😂

  • @matthewwagner47
    @matthewwagner47 6 місяців тому

    Remember seeing this in corn many years ago but don't see it much anymore.

  • @happywings15
    @happywings15 6 місяців тому +2

    5:08 imma stop here but I’m curious to know what the name of the lab that gave them the chemicals. And why the near by labs/scientists wanted to partner up with the farmers for the huitaloche’s . Is it through a not for profit to encourage agriculture or are the farmers a test group ,a way they can test out their product to then sell to more agricultural customers later on? I need to know when it’s not midnight lol.

    • @JonDayne
      @JonDayne 3 місяці тому

      What happens is that in Mexico the best universities are public and their scientists. So many of its scientific departments help communities to improve their crops. The government also has an institution called by its Spanish acronym INIFAP (National Institute of Forestry, Agricultural and Livestock Research) where research is carried out with crops but it is all organic. I live in Veracruz-Mexico and many things are grown here and this institution does research on many crops and they have corn fields and other products. For example, in the region of Coatepec Veracruz they have coffee fields and anyone can go to them to provide them with seeds for their crops and they are obliged to give them to them because everything is public financing. When I went to record, they gave me a kilo of coffee that they grow in that place and other products. So surely the scientists who helped them belonged to a public university or a secretary of the Mexican government.

  • @May-bm1hb
    @May-bm1hb 3 місяці тому

    My mom had a quesadilla stand in México City. Just hutlachoche with apazotle is a delicacy.

  • @menkros1
    @menkros1 4 місяці тому

    Amazing

  • @50wledligthbulb
    @50wledligthbulb 6 місяців тому +1

    Everybody chilling until the chahuistle hits

  • @GD30.06
    @GD30.06 6 місяців тому

    Love it

  • @juancarlosmiranda6044
    @juancarlosmiranda6044 День тому +1

    La boda la celebraban en la selva del coyote
    Estaban los guajolotes cantando bien neciesotes
    Estaban bien borrachotes cuando llegó el tecolote
    Cuando llegó el tecolote calmándoles el mitote
    Hoy se casó el huitlacoche

  • @franciscopineda2594
    @franciscopineda2594 6 місяців тому +2

    There is no food that i want to try more than this