street corn

noun

1

: grilled corn on the cob that is coated with a creamy spread (such as mayonnaise, sour cream, or crema) and garnished with toppings (such as lime juice, cotija cheese, and chili powder) : elote, mexican street corn

… roasted street corn, topped with mayo, cotija cheese and chili powder …

—Merrill Shindler

2

: boiled, grilled, or sautéed corn kernels mixed with assorted ingredients (such as lime juice, mayonnaise, cotija cheese, and chili powder) : esquites, mexican street corn

… warm cups of "street corn" topped with mayo, Parmesan cheese and cayenne pepper.

—Nathan Chesky

Thankfully, I was able to come out of the reverie to take a bite of the esquites I'd ordered as a side for the sandwich. Unlike more one-dimensional, mayonnaise-heavy versions, this street corn was balanced. The mayo was there but more as a binder to the perfectly cooked kernels …

—Cheryl Baehr

Word History

First Known Use

2006, in the meaning defined at sense 1