Why Huitlacoche (Corn Smut) is So Expensive | So Expensive

[Music] this gray fulvous fungus has infected this ear of corn and it's deliberate infected corn can sell for 40 times more than non- moldy ones its official name is we go but for years American farmers called this infection the devil's corn and corn smut is it relentlessly destroyed crops and farming equipment meanwhile the fungus has been a local delicacy in Mexico since the time of the [Music] Aztecs now that even Michelin star restaurants in the US are serving it the fungus has been elevated with names like black gold and Mexican truffle its export price has doubled in the last 3 years going from $15 in 2020 to selling for just over $40 a pound today so is infecting corn crops paying off for Mexican farmers and what exactly makes wheat Lao so expensive these days we co is most commonly served [Music] inad locals like Lorena have been eating for years what fine diners in the US are just now starting to enjoy and this new audience has created a business opportunity for Mexican Farmers like Emilio and his son edto even though we is a disease and technically rotting the corn it's still crucial to harvest it before it becomes too Rott the best time to find this local favorite is during Mexico's rainy season since the heavy Wind and Rain causes wounds in the corn the fungus can infect we go only affects unpollinated and damaged corn when the fungus first forms out of the corn kernels it starts out a yellowish white color before turning gray with a smooth texture this is the ideal color and texture for customers as the wheat Lae continues to swell and form into Galls it turns black and eventually bursts open to release a black powder it takes 2 to 4 weeks for the infection to take hold and for the GS to form War this means Farmers must carefully monitor crops to harvest wheat L at the exact right time and maximize its brief shelf life while this demand once outpaced the supply things have changed ever since Farmers found a way to infect crops year round partnering with Scientists to isolate the fungus and inject it directly into the corn [Music] foree changes in temperature can also render the injection liquid useless so workers must handle it with [Music] [Music] care [Music] [Music] for however if the liquid gets too cold or freezes that can also kill the fungi so balance is key ediberto and his father also take measures to protect themselves before entering the corn fields they wear long sleeves since the prickly hairs on the corn store talks can cause rashes the most mature plants are injected first before they can pollinate each other but injecting the corn is an art and it doesn't always go perfectly despite how delicate the injection method is it still has a significantly higher success rate than waiting for wheat L COI to form naturally without Refrigeration weed La Coe only stays fresh for one or 2 days and any changes in temperature or humidity can cause it to become increasingly dry so sending a less mature white gray wheat L go to the market is essential for Emilio and ariberto if they want to make a profit while some producers now process wheat loo to be canned which extends its shelf life and in some instances lowers its price fresh weat Lao is still the most popular choice since that's what customers prefer smaller producers also don't always have the resources to preserve their wheat luch via canning instead they typically sell directly to vendors at wholesale markets here at the santarita market in guapa depending on the supply we sells for 20 pesos to 50 pesos a kilo many of the buyers here are local vendors who cook and sell traditional dishes outside but also high-end restaurants who serve we l in a variety of ways although wheat L has been a local favorite for centuries now the international culinary world has only just begun to admire it us farmers can considered the fungus a major agricultural problem with studies from as early as the late 1800s looking into how to eradicate the fungus now Michelin St restaurants like aito in San Francisco are starting to add the fungus to their $295 tasting menu but for chefs outside of Mexico getting freshw wheat lco is a big Challenge and part of why the price jumps so much once it crosses the Border in the US whe La Co imported from Mexico has more than doubled in cost going from 15 to $2 a pound in 2020 to around $40 a pound today despite the costs and limited shelf life many people particularly chefs are eager to get their hands on the Mexican truffle most of this demand is supplied by the wheat Lao that is manually infected by humans thanks to Martinez Cara and other scientists Mexico now produces 1,500 tons of wheat luche a year most of the supply comes from much bigger Farms than OS meanwhile naturally grown wheat Lao is getting rarer and rarer the rise of hybrid crops as well as pesticides has made it significantly harder for the fungus to take hold naturally today the prices are actually going down while injected crops have made it easier for large-scale producers to meet the international demand they've also made the corn more accessible to locals and created a more competitive market fore

Channel: Business Insider

Views: 1,446,405

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Length: 13min 13sec (793 seconds)

Published: Thu Nov 16 2023