Because I grew up in Southern California, I was extremely fortunate to be around endless amounts of Mexican foods, products, and snacks. Mexican street corn is an absolute staple in my family, as it is with many other Mexican and Mexican American families. When the warmer spring and summer months came, we knew that the smell of corn cooking on the grill or being boiled in large pots would soon fill the air with its sweet aroma. (Elotes, which have similar toppings, are often boiled and served on a stick.)
I learned that while the cooking method was important, it was the way you seasoned your corn that would make its natural flavors stand out. Now, it’s needless to say there is no such thing as going overboard with how you top your corn. As for me, it was heavily dependent on the street cart vendor and what toppings they had available. I would hear the sounds of the push cart coming down the street and the bicycle bell ringing, followed by the smell of corn.
