Esquites (or ezquites) (troles and trolelotes in Northeast Mexico, chasca in Aguascalientes, vasolote in Michoacán, etc.) also known as elote en vaso (corn in a cup), also served in the Southwestern USA is a Mexican snack or antojito. One can find them at local markets, and street vendors selling corn. The word ''esquites'' comes from the

Nahuatl Nahuatl ( ; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahuas, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have smaller popul ...

word ''ízquitl'', which means "toasted corn". National Museum - Caja de Mazorca de Maiz

Origin

Although its true origin is not known, it is a common understanding that esquites are historically a common Mexican street food. According to Nahuatl stories, esquites are credited as being created by the deity Tlazocihuapilli of Xochimilcas, who is also credited with creating Mexican Atole and corn jelly. There is an alternative origin story that claims that in the late 1800's, Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico and Empress Charlotte of Belgium created a dish referred to as "Odalisque Teeth", when they accidentally used corn flour instead of wheat. The modern day esquite is known as a Mestizo preparation because many of its fundamental ingredients (not including corn) were from Spain.

Ingredients

Esquites are generally made from white corn kernels that have been boiled and softened in water, which typically contains salt and

epazote ''Dysphania ambrosioides'', formerly ''Chenopodium ambrosioides'', known as epazote, Jesuit's tea, Mexican tea or wormseed, is an annual or short-lived perennial herb native to the Americas. Description ''Dysphania ambrosioides'' is an annual p ...

. Sometimes the corn is also sauteed in butter and onions after it has been boiled. The white corn kernels are first boiled until soft and tender in large pots and served in plastic or styrofoam cups, hence the name in English, "corn in cup". One can additionally find them being served in corn husks. The ingredients can vary; toppings for esquites include (but are not limited to) combinations of

lime juice A lime is a citrus fruit, which is typically round, lime green in colour, in diameter, and contains acidic juice vesicles. There are several species of citrus trees whose fruits are called limes, including the Key lime (''Citrus aurantiifoli ...

chili powder Chili powder (also spelled chile, chilli, or, alternatively, powdered chili) is the dried, pulverized fruit of one or more varieties of chili pepper, sometimes with the addition of other spices (in which case it is also sometimes known as chili p ...

or hot sauce,

salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...

Cotija cheese Cotija ( , ) is an aged Mexican cheese made from cow's milk and named after the town of Cotija, Michoacán. White in color and firm in texture, its flavor is salty and milky. "Young" (or fresher) cotija cheese has been described as akin to a mil ...

, and

mayonnaise Mayonnaise (), colloquially referred to as "mayo" (), is a thick, creamy sauce with a rich and tangy taste that is commonly used on sandwiches, hamburgers, Salad#Bound salads, bound salads, and French fries. It also forms the base for various o ...

. In places like Mexico City they are also topped with Mexican Chapulines or crickets. A popular modern-day variation is to top the corn with blended Flamin' Hot Cheetos or

Takis Takis may refer to: * Takis (snack), a spicy, roll-shaped snack * Takis Christoforidis, a Greek actor * Takis Fotopoulos, a Greek political philosopher * Takis Ikonomopoulos, a Greek football player * Takis Kanellopoulos a Greek film director * Tak ...

. New variations include all the same ingredients but mixed in with a chip bag of choice.

References

{{Street food Maize dishes Mexican cuisine Snack foods Street food

Origin

Ingredients

See also

References