fungus that grows on a corn ear.....a mushroom with sweet corn flavor, the part that makes it a turnoff is that it's grey~black distended kernals.
Corn Smut is what farmers call it. They remove it as quickly as it's discovered because it is (was) considered BAD. It would spread "distroying" the corn crop. I've been in a field with smut sometimes it's easy to see and othertimes it's hidden until you shuck the ear of corn. In mexico it's considered a delicacy much as a wild shroom. So, when the corn farmers come to market they hold the smut out to me with a sour disgusted look on their faces....they shake their heads and quietly express questions of my sanity....when I saute it for sampling they may try it but still they've grown up with it being a very negative scurge, so it would be essentially asking them to eat a bug or something really gross.
I've asked around to see who's interested in purchasing for their menus....several are but again it's finding the purchasers that will make it worth while. And on the flip side giving the farmers a price that makes them OK with propagating or trying to sell it. Did the same thing with garlic scapes a few years ago.....farmers were throwing them away, I asked them to bring in scapes...when I sauted them for sampling they flew off the market.Same with black radishes, sorrel, salsify, savoy cabbage, fennel, various chilis, cippolini onions......
This is the cool part of the gig....guess we all get our kicks somewhere.
By asking Rick how much he pays and how it's propogated we're spreading huitlacoche aka corn smut to the STL area....
