Huitlacoche, the fungus that grows on corn, is typically only found in Los Angeles at farmers markets toward the end of the summer. When Carolina Aboumrad was working to import truffles to restaurants during the pandemic, a chef mentioned that his dream was to make huitlacoche more accessible, so she and her business partner Ricardo Olvera began bringing it in from Mexico, where it is considered a delicacy and widely used.
Aboumrad says huitlacoche can be used just as a mushroom, calling it the “Choose Your Own Adventure” of the fungus. Her chef customers use it for compound butters, ice cream, vegan black rice, and even cheesecake.