The Mexican street-food corn on the cob typically topped with mayonnaise, cheese, chile, and lime is called elote.
The Spanish word elote comes from the Nahuatl word elotitutl, meaning tender corn or corn on the cob. Vendors commonly grill or boil the corn, then add mayonnaise or Mexican crema, crumbled cheese such as cotija, chile powder, and lime juice.
Elote is usually served on a stick or with a handle left on the cob, making it easy to eat at markets, festivals, and roadside stands. The toppings vary by region and vendor, so some versions include butter, hot sauce, or cilantro.
Elote is different from esquites, another popular Mexican corn snack. Esquites consist of kernels removed from the cob and served in a cup with similar creamy, spicy toppings. Both names refer to corn-based street foods, but only elote is traditionally served as a whole cob.