What is growing on my corn?

[unclejoe]

I went out to check for some ripe corn last night and found this.

It's a light gray growth that is black on the inside. It doesn't appear to be an insect as there is no movement when I break it open.
Any ideas?

 

[TillinWithMyPeeps]

It's a type of fungus. I had that growing on all of the corn I grew a couple of years ago. This is the first year since then that I have tried growing corn again.

 

[seedcorn]

smut, caused by some physical damage to the kernels--usually insect feeding.

 

[unclejoe]

Thanks. With your answers, I looked up corn fungus. It's called Huitlacoche. I found this at gourmetsleuth.com . I'm not sure it's something I'll have an interest in harvesting.



Huitlacoche [wee-tlah-KOH-cheh]
Mexican Corn Truffle
Huitlacoche (also spelled cuitlacoche) is a fungus which grows naturally on ears of corn (Ustilago maydis). The fungus is harvested and treated as a delicacy. The earthy and somewhat smoky fungus is used to flavor quesadillas, tamales, soups and other specialty dishes.

 

[lesa]

Has anyone eaten this stuff? When I had it on my corn last year, I almost had a heart attack-then this year I couldn't believe that it was considered a delicacy!! It looked way too gross to eat! Let me know if you have the guts to try it!

 

[unclejoe]

For folks that don't feel like following the link, I thought I'd throw this little tidbit in. There's even a recipe for a way to use it.
Bon Appetit

The Aztec named this dark growth found on corn huitlacoche which translates (rather bluntly and literally) to "ravens excrement". Although the name provided is not overly appetizing the Aztec's fashioned the fungus into dishes of crepes, soups, and tamales.

American farmers call it "smut" and "devil's corn" and consider it a disease to be irradiated. The peoples of Mexico as well as the American Hopi Indians consider the fungus a delightful delicacy.

According to Betty Fussell in her book The Story of Corn, the Hopi call the corn fungus nanha and collect when it is young and tender, par boil it for 10 minutes then sautd in butter until crisp.

The Zuni Indians call the corn fungus corn-soot and say it symbolizes the "generation of life".

The French call it goitre du mais. It is unclear if it is eaten in France.

Today in Mexico the product is actually cultivated each season providing an ample supply to be eaten fresh, then frozen and canned. While the product is not easy to find in the U.S. most typically it can be purchased canned.

Another interesting story told by Ms. Fussell is that of a dinner presented by the James Beard House in New York City in 1989. The purpose was to give Americans a tasting of the corn smut but with a new name "Mexican Truffle". The menu was created by Josefina Howard of Rosa Mexicano restaurant and included huitlacoche appetizers, soup, crepes, tortilla torte, and even an huitlacoche ice cream.

 

[sparkles2307]

We get it on our field corn yearly. Anytime a young cob was nibble by a deer it gets fungus. It's just more "dockage" at harvest, no biggie.