Sunday Lunchtime reading

I’m still away, so I thought that I would pre-program my blog to publish this just in time for your Sunday Lunch.

We’ve just had payday, so I’m guessing that the naked Salticrax (careful now) which have been the staple diet for the last few days have been discarded and you’re going LARGE today:

Roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, potatoes, carrots, lashing of gravy?
Am I right?

No Cuitlacoche then?

Not heard of that?

Well, it’s basically a fungal infection (Ustilago maydis, no less) of corn that renders the kernels blown, replacing them on the cobs with large distorted tumours.

I can tell that your mouth is watering right now.

Don’t dribble on the keyboard, will you?

If you were Mexican (and you might well actually be Mexican, because this blog is now available worldwide), you’d think of this infected and rotting corn as a delicacy.
If you’re not Mexican, you’re probably wondering what they’re on about.
Fortunately we at 6000 miles… have found someone to taste these things so that you don’t have to.

Step forward Steve from Don’t Eat It, Steve:

Don’t worry, I checked the ingredients before I tasted it. “Smoker’s lung” was not on there.

Before I even got the whole can open, I detected a vague aroma of sweet corn, along with what I can only describe as a deep musky funk. Put ’em together and it smells like corn that forgot to wipe.
In just a single serving, you’ll experience a wide array of textures. Without getting too gross, it’s because the disease is more advanced in some kernels than others. One bite might be kinda chewy, while the next might burst in your mouth like a black pus-filled blister. (Whoops, forgot about the not-too-gross thing. Oh well. Nuts to you!)

If you want to know what Cuitlacoche looks like served on your plate, you’ll have to click through here. If you were brave enough to look, why not leave a comment below telling us your thoughts, so that we can admire or pity the work of your right index finger.

Bon appetit!

7 thoughts on “Sunday Lunchtime reading

  1. Okay, that’s just eeuuuwwww!

    I do miss the sound of someone screaming “Mielies” at the top of their lungs all around the neighbourhood, it has to be said… 😀

  2. HH > We don’t get that in Cape Town, but we do have a regular door-to-door snoek salesman.

    carl botha > Psychedelic mushrooms are fungi too…

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