Best season to travel to Mexico

Huitlacoche or Corn Smut

This fine name stands for dark-coloured fungus growing on corn, and added to many Mexican foods when in season

Best time: May–September

Huitlacoche or Corn Smut
Huitlacoche or Corn Smut
Huitlacoche or Corn Smut
Huitlacoche or Corn Smut

Cheese with fungi are already in trend in a range of cheese-loving countries, but Mexico goes further, offering dark corn-growing fungus as a delicacy. It's actually sold along with the cobs and is shaved off them only in the kitchen. According to the common recipe, the huitlacoche is chopped and fried with onion, garlic, green chiles, and bitter herbs that complement its sweet taste.

The black jammy mass is then used to fill tortillas, tamales, quesadillas, and is commonly added to soups. The look and realisation that this a fungus might be repelling, but when you finally venture to taste it you'll surely ask for more. The season runs from late spring to early autumn, when rains are abundant and the fungi are widespread in central Mexico.