Tonight we went to Jibarra for Georg's birthday. I had huitlacoche! And it was good!
Huitlacoche is called "Mexican truffle," but actually it's a fungus that grows on corn. (I've also heard it called the accurate but unappetizing "corn smut"). I've been wanting to try huitlacoche for years, but the last time we went to Jibarra I chickened out. The waiter told me it tasted "musty," and sounded like he was trying to think of something nice to say about it, and I was afraid he meant it tasted like a nasty old closet smells. So I got something safe instead.
I've been regretting being such a wuss ever since, so this time I ordered it. And it was great! Milder than I was expecting. Not musty at all. Actually it was kind of hard to describe. "Earthy" I guess. Sort of like wild mushrooms. Which makes sense; huitlacoche and mushrooms are both fungi. It came stuffed in chicken, with excellent mashed potatoes and strips of poblano pepper. Yum.
Besides the huitlacoche, everything else was wonderful too. For dessert I had a buñuelo, which was kind of like a Napoleon, with layers of fresh fruit and crispy pastry. A nice light finish to the meal.
2 Comments
but what did it look like? i've only seen one or two photos and they looked a little scary.
It kind of looked like very good dirt.