In México, a great amount of our street food is made up of vegetables, fruits, and grains. We love to have baked sweet potatoes, baked plantains, fruit salads with cream, fruit with lime, salt, and dry pepper, drinks made with fruits, and of course, corn. Corn can be prepared in many ways, like fire-roasted, boiled, steamed, made into a cake, or with just the kernels served in a cup, like in this recipe.
Esquites Recipe
Most street vendors place themselves in strategic places where they know people will gather, like an outside the church on a Sunday morning, close to the main city plaza, in the town fairgrounds, and outside hospitals and public government offices. But my favorite place to get a snack is at the beach. You can go to Miramar beach on any weekend and find all sorts of vendors pushing their carts full of fruits, seafood empanadas, shaved ice cones, and, of course, corn on the cob. Like the ones in the pictures below:
Photo Courtesy of León Felipe Guevara Chávez
These pictures were taken at the beach in my hometown. The cart vendor sells corn on the cob and esquites (also known as trotelotes or troles).
How to make Esquites Recipe
DIRECTIONS
- In medium-high heat, melt the butter in a skillet. Once melted, add the chopped onion and cook until transparent. (Please check the ingredients list below)
- Add the corn and epazote (if using), serrano pepper, and 1/3 water. Stir and cover to cook, stirring occasionally. It will take between 6-8 minutes to cook. Check for doneness and do not overcook, corn kernels should be firm.
- Season with salt and serve in 4 cups. Top with cream and/or mayonnaise and cheese. If you don’t want to use the serrano peppers and use cayenne or chili powder instead, then add it at this point with some lime juice.
Serve warm and enjoy!!
Esquites Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups of fresh cut corn kernels about 4 corn ears
- 1/2 cup Mexican sour cream or mayonnaise*
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup finely chopped white onion
- 1/3 cup water
- 4 tablespoon of chopped fresh epazote if available or dried epazote
- 1 serrano pepper optional
- 6 tablespoons crumbled queso fresco cotija or farmers cheese**
- Ground chili powder or cayenne pepper for topping
- Lime wedges optional
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a medium-high heat, melt the butter in a skillet. Once melted, add the chopped onion and cook until transparent.
- Add the corn and epazote (if using), serrano pepper, and 1/3 water. Stir and cover to cook, stirring occasionally. It will take between 6-8 minutes to cook. Check for doneness and do not overcook, corn kernels should be firm.
- Season with salt and serve in 4 cups. Top with cream and/or mayonnaise and cheese. If you don’t want to use the serrano peppers and use cayenne or chili powder instead, then add it at this point with some lime juice.
Serve warm and enjoy!!
Notes
Nutrition
If you want to learn more about México’s street food, check out this Martha Stewart video about Street Food during her visit to México: HERE.
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Nora
Mely qué antojo! qué rico! Te me adelantaste con la publicación del trolelote, como le dicen aquí y si vieras cómo ha cambiado la preparación. Cuando vengas vamos a comer trolelotes a Cd Madero!
Mely
Si Nora,
Y no solo Trolelotes, todo lo demas que ofrece Cd. Madero.
Rebecca Subbiah
this looks great so want to visit Mexico and eat ha
Lita
What is Epazote? I checked it,out on Google. I still don't know what form of herb. ,is it common? I live in El Paso and use lots of Mexican cooking ingredients. This is a first.
Linda
Mely
Hello Lita:
You can see a close up picture for epazote in my chilaquiles recipe:
Chilaquiles
The uses for Epazote goes from beans, stews, as a tea for stomachache,quesadillas, seafood soups, and even some people in Yucatan add it to their Tamales and Cochinita Pibil.
Here a little bit more about it:
Dysphania ambrosioides
Mely
kumars kitchen
so delicious.....authentically Mexican 🙂
Lea Ann
Thank you for this recipe! We're just getting ready for corn season here in Colorado, and with a Mexican flare, this most certainly caught my attention. Pinned.
Mely
I hope you enjoy it Lea Ann.
Karen
Looks yummy, Mely. The corn in our garden is not ready yet, but can't wait!
Prieta
Los esquites creo son originarios de mi tierra, Tijuana. Se venden en todas partes pero son más comunes en "la línea". Cuando la gente esta haciendo fila para cruzar la frontera ya sea en carro o a pie, no faltan los vendedores ambulantes ofreciendo sus ricos esquites. Esta receta me trajo recuerdos de tiempos pasados cuando vivía en TJ y cruzaba todos los días al "otro lado" para ir a la escuela. Los burritos y los esquites siempre estaban ahí para mi deleite.
Saludos
Chris
Oh my....I want to eat that right now! I'm at my son's football practice and hungry, then I see this delightful corn in a cup. I have to try this and soon.
Tifferella
Omg I'm going to make this asap!
anukampa dubey
wow this is so quick and perfect party snack. We do get the same thing with lot of dry spices and lemon juice here in India. Never heard with cheese as a snack. Am sure this would be great. Will try sometime.
Irene Lopez
Hi !
I just discovered your blog and I love your recipes! I made this corn with some fresh corn I bought at a farm stand. I rate this ***** (5 stars). This corn was awesome!
mmartinez
Hello Irene,
Thank you for trying the recipe.
Norma
Could canned corn be used in place of corn on the cob?
Thank you
mmartinez
Hello Norma,
Yes, you can use the canned version.