Esquites

Esquites are the cup-served cousin of elote, a beloved street snack sold from steaming pots by vendors all across Mexico City. Fresh corn kernels are sauteed with epazote, butter, and chiles until tender and slightly charred, then served in a small cup or bowl with a generous spoonful of mayonnaise, a squeeze of lime, a shower of crumbled cotija cheese, and a dusting of ground chile. Where elote requires eating a whole cob, esquites are the more practical, spoonable version that delivers all the same addictive flavors in a more convenient format.