The other day I went to the market with my grandmother in Mexico City, and saw fresh huitlacoche, a Mexican delicacy. Huitlacoche is the fungus that grows on the fresh corn, which only is available when corn is harvested, in the summer. At the market, we bought some fresh huitlacoche, which for me was a total novelty, because I have become accustomed to enjoying it from a can, which is the best you can do outside of Mexico. Anyway, we brought home some of the fresh fungus and gave it to Amada, the woman who helps in my grandmother’s house a few times a week, and who is an excellent cook. What was given to her as a black clump with some corn kernels imbedded in it was transformed into a subtle and earthy side dish, simply prepared with some onion and chile. She heated up some fresh corn tortillas, and I ate it as a taco with some lime juice. It was exquisite.

Two days later I had another huitlacoche experience, this time in a more upscale setting. The whole family celebrated my grandmother’s birthday at the San Ángel Inn, an old hacienda that now serves as one of the nicer restaurants in Mexico City. I decided to order things that I have never had before, a choice which in Mexico can bring lots of fun surprises. Before I get to the main course, I must side track and tell you about my appetizer. On the menu, under suggestions, were escamoles, which I learned were eggs from a specific type of ant. They came served in a little ceramic cup, side by side with guacamole, pico de gallo (tomato based salsa), and fresh tortillas. I thought that I would be nervous about eating them, but when I saw what they looked like, I was not intimidated at all. They were soft white ovals, that looked more like rice crispies than eggs. I tried a little bite, and they melted in my mouth. I put them into a taco with the guacamole and the salsa, and they were even better! For my main course, I repeated huitlacoche, this time in the form of a sauce over a bed of fettuccine. I have always assumed that Italians are the best at making pasta, but this dish changed my opinion completely. The plate of thick pasta topped with a moderate amount of the black fungus on top, along with a bit of some chopped dried chile and some Parmesan was delicious. I swear it was one of the best pastas I have ever eaten. It had a thick consistency, but a very subtle earthy mushroom flavor with hints of corn. I never cease to be amazed by the way what looks like a clump of moldy earth can be transformed into a complex sauce. Although you might be able to bring back a can of huitlacoche to the United States, it is never going to be the same as going to Mexico in the summer, and enjoying it while it is in full season, both in its casual and upscale forms.