The Mexican street food of grilled corn on the cob coated with mayonnaise, cheese, and chili is called elote. Vendors commonly serve the hot cob on a stick, spreading it with mayonnaise or a creamy sauce before adding crumbled Cotija cheese, chili powder, lime juice, and salt.
Elote is part of Mexico’s broad antojito tradition of informal street foods and market snacks. The corn may be boiled or grilled over charcoal; grilled versions, often called elotes asados, develop a smoky flavor and lightly charred kernels. Seasonings vary by region and vendor, so sour cream, butter, hot sauce, or other cheeses may also appear.
A common mix-up is esquites. Esquites use the same general flavor profile but consist of corn kernels served loose, usually in a cup and eaten with a spoon. Elote specifically refers to corn served on the cob in this preparation. The word elote itself also broadly means an ear of corn in Mexican and Central American Spanish.