Esquites: what they are, history and the recipe for street-style kernel sweetcorn

What is it?

Esquites are a preparation of tender sweetcorn kernels cooked in a broth with onion, epazote, salt and chilli, served in a glass or small bowl with mayonnaise, crumbled cotija or queso fresco, chilli powder and a few drops of lime. They are one of the most popular street snacks in Mexico City and central Mexico, sold from food carts from dusk onwards in squares, parks and markets. The word esquite comes from the Nahuatl izquitl, meaning "toasted" or "toasted maize". Although today they are prepared boiled, their original name alludes to the pre-Hispanic technique of toasting them on a comal. Together with sweetcorn in a cup and grilled corn on the cob, they make up the trilogy of Mexican "street corn", today reproduced in food trucks and restaurants worldwide under the name "Mexican street corn".

Origin and history

Esquites have a documented pre-Hispanic origin. In the Florentine Codex, Fray Bernardino de Sahagún describes the izquitl as an Aztec dish of maize kernels toasted on a comal, eaten with chilli and salt in the markets of Tlatelolco and Tenochtitlán. The boiled version in an epazote broth, as we know it today, consolidated in central Mexico during the viceregal period, when indigenous cuisine adopted the broth as a culinary vehicle and mayonnaise and cheese arrived with European influence to enrich it. By the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century, esquites were already an identifiable street food in Mexico City, especially in the Historic Centre and working-class neighbourhoods such as Tepito and La Merced. In the 2010s they experienced a media phenomenon similar to that of birria: "Mexican corn cups" went viral in the United States and Europe, and today they feature on Mexican restaurant menus in New York, Los Angeles, Madrid and Tokyo.

Characteristic ingredients

The basic ingredients are: tender sweetcorn kernels (Zea mays cacahuazintle or white variety), water, white onion, garlic, fresh epazote (indispensable for the characteristic aroma), salt and chilli (jalapeño or serrano for the broth). To serve, mayonnaise, crumbled cotija or queso fresco, chile piquín powder or Tajín, and a few drops of lime are added. Regional variants: in Tlaxcala and Puebla black beans or broad beans are added; in Guanajuato they are served with chiltepín; in Yucatán with cotija and habanero; and in the United States the "esquites elote" with melted butter and parmesan is found. There are also modern esquites with bone marrow, chamoy or chicharrón. The difference between esquites and sweetcorn in a cup is subtle: sweetcorn in a cup features kernels straight out of the cooking water without extra broth; esquites are served with their own concentrated broth at the bottom.

Cultural significance

Esquites are one of the most representative street snacks in central Mexico and form part of the traditional Mexican cuisine inscribed by UNESCO in 2010 as Intangible Cultural Heritage. They are popular food par excellence: they cost between 20 and 50 pesos from food carts and represent a fundamental income for thousands of street vendors "esquiteros" in Mexico City, Puebla, Toluca and Cuernavaca. In 2018 social-media controversies erupted over the correct order of the ingredients (mayonnaise before or after the cheese?) and over the legitimacy of Tajín against the traditional chile piquín. The Secretariat of Culture of Mexico City has documented the esquiteros as part of the capital's intangible gastronomic heritage. In the United States, "esquites in a cup" have been reviewed by The New York Times, Bon Appétit and Eater as one of the most successful Mexican snacks of the last decade, alongside grilled sweetcorn and chamoyadas.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between esquites and sweetcorn in a cup?

Sweetcorn in a cup features kernels shucked directly from the cooking water and is accompanied with mayonnaise, cheese, chilli and lime. Esquites are cooked in a concentrated broth with epazote, onion and chilli, and are served with that broth at the bottom of the glass. Esquites have a more herbal, brothy flavour.

Why are they called esquites?

The name comes from the Nahuatl izquitl, meaning "toasted" or "toasted maize". Although today they are prepared boiled, the name alludes to the original pre-Hispanic technique of toasting the kernels on a clay comal, described by Sahagún in the sixteenth century in the Florentine Codex.

Are esquites vegan?

The traditional street version is not, because it contains mayonnaise, cheese and sometimes butter. However, they are easy to make vegan: replace the mayonnaise with a vegan version (from aquafaba or soya), the cheese with a plant-based one or nutritional yeast, and keep the epazote, chilli, lime and salt. The base flavour is identical.

What chilli is used for esquites?

Fresh jalapeño or serrano chilli is cooked in the broth. To serve, chile piquín powder, Tajín or ground chile de árbol is sprinkled on top. The spiciest versions in Tlaxcala and Guanajuato use chiltepín. The heat is adjusted to taste, and they are always finished with lime to balance.