There isn't a much better taste treat than corn on the cob. And if it's the RIGHT kind of corn on the cob, I will pass on the butter AND the salt.

But I do like all the delicious ways you can serve it. We like to make a spread with butter, sour cream, and taco seasoning and then spread it on the cob. And THEN you fold the silk back around the cob and microwave it for about 6 minutes.

Amazing.

And outside of those kinds of tricks, there's not much else you can do--in terms of recipes--WITH corn on the cob. It's pretty perfect...most of the time.

CORN SMUT--A DISEASE THAT ISN'T A PROBLEM

I'm no expert, but I'm guessing farmers would prefer not to see any type of disease form on their crops. But there is a fungus--considered a disease--that is not considered a problem.  What's more, it's actually edible, and no, I'm not going to be ingesting CORN SMUT if I get a look at it WHILE it's on the corn, But yes, it's called corn smut, and you can absolutely eat it.

 WHAT'S FOR SUPPER? HOW ABOUT CORN SMUT?

To be honest with you, I LIKE that something called corn smut is edible. Imagine telling friends you're having over for dinner that CORN SMUT is on the menu. Actually, DON'T tell them that. It's probably something you should try before knowing what it is. Like snails.

Anyway, when I was searching for corn smut, I was looking for a description of what it is and how big an issue it is. That's when I found that explanation from the University of Nebraska on YouTube. But here's the thing--MOST of the videos I found were about how to cook it.

Corn smut--huitlacoche or cuitlacoche (wheat-lah-coh-chay)--seems to be quite a delicacy in Mexican cuisine. Specifically, it's a word from the Aztecs. In fact, this guy calls the discovery of smut on an ear of corn an EXCITING discovery. Here's why:

Okay, well, I'm down for tacos ANYTIME. And I'll tell you something else. I'd eat that. No, I wouldn't want to know what's in it ahead of time. And I certainly don't want to see where it came from, but I would absolutely try it.

CORN SMUT MAY BE FAR MORE COMMON THAN I REALIZED

The Mayan Cafe--a restaurant in Louisville--is one of the few places you'll find corn smut on the menu. Except they call it "exotic mushroom," even though it's not related to the mushroom. Safer name choice, though, if you ask me.

Or, at Louisville’s excellent Mayan Café, “exotic mushroom,” appended to the Aztec “cuitlacoche” without the literal translation. Mayan Café chef Bruce Ucán prepares cuitlacoche in a dreamily accessible fashion, pureed into a silken, sweet cream sauce that showcases its delicate, sweet, and subtly mushroomy aroma and flavor.

I think that sounds really good. And guess what? If I've inspired you to give it a try, you don't have to hunt down a corn stalk to find your own huitlacoche. It actually comes in a can.

Here's another use for huitlacoche--this time in tamales, which I love (IF they are authentic; none of that canned stuff).

So if you can't get to The Mayan Cafe in Louisville--where it isn't ALWAYS on the menu, by the way--you can probably order corn smut, or huitlacoche, online. I've never seen it in stores.

I'll be honest; I'm ready to do it. I can see the invitations now..."Hey everybody, come on over. We're gonna watch the game and I'm making corn smut tacos."

I wonder how many RSVPs I'd get.

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