Nahuatl term for
Ustilago maydis, a
soil-borne
fungus that grows primarily in sweet corn in damp weather;
infected
kernels grow large and oddly shaped, turning pearly grey or black as they fill with
spores.
In the U.S., if farmers get this corn smut, they destroy the crop or feed it to
pigs. In Mexico, it's a delicacy and farmers will get a premium price for their crop.
Aztecs boiled or toasted this mushroom, and the Maya would boil, roast, or cook their huitlacoche in tamales.
You might find it fresh in Mexico, or in Mexican nouvelle cuisine restaurants in Florida.
In the U.S. it is sold in cans in Mexican markets. If you're interested in cooking with it, a quick search on Google will turn up a variety
of recipes.