huitlacoche

Alternative forms

• cuitlacoche

Etymology

From Spanish huitlacoche, an alteration of cuitlacoche, from Classical Nahuatl.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌwitləˈkoʊtʃeɪ/

Noun

huitlacoche (uncountable)

1. Corn smut prepared as a delicacy
   • 2006, Pete Wells, “Putting Le Bec-Fin to the Test”, in Best Food Writing 2006‎, →ISBN, page 164:

     I told him how much I'd liked my fish course, a black sea bass fillet with pickled lotus root and huitlacoche sauce […]

   • 2009, February 2, “Susan Sampson”, in 1001 foods you must taste‎:

     Consider huitlacoche (corn fungus), miracle berries (that trick taste buds into thinking sour is sweet), Casu Marzu (maggoty black-market cheese) or turu (a worm-like mollusc).

Alternative forms

• cuitlacoche

Etymology

An alteration of cuitlacoche, from Classical Nahuatl cuitlacochin (“ear of maize infected with corn smut”), of uncertain composition.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /witlaˈkot͡ʃe/, [wit̪laˈkot͡ʃe]

Noun

huitlacoche m (plural huitlacoches)

1. (Mexico) corn smut (fungus that affects maize, eaten as a delicacy)
   • 2013, Miguel Ángel Chávez Díaz de León, Polícia de Ciudad Juárez, Oceano, page 9

     ¡Estaba a punto de comer huilacoche!

     I was about to eat huilacoche!