ROUSES_Summer2022_Magazine.indd

T eosinte was a far cry from the sweet cobs that we know and love. “A teosinte ear is only two to three inches long, with five to 12 kernels — compare that to corn’s 12-inch ear that boasts 500 or more kernels,” wrote the National Science Foundation about a study that traced “corn ancestry from ancient grass to modern crop.” Today, that crop is agriculture’s MVV: most versatile vegetable. (Technically, corn is classified by botanists as a fruit, though it’s often considered a grain — but we’ll get into that in a minute.) In the summer, when there’s a bounty of fresh, sweet corn at Rouses Markets across the Gulf Coast, it’s the perfect time to appre ciate the versatility of this golden star of the culinary world. And Mexico is where it all began, and it’s the source from which some of the best corn recipes still emanate. “It’s impossible to overstate the reverence with which maize is regarded in Mexico: it is the cornerstone of the culture,” writes James Oseland in his acclaimed cookbook, World Food: Mexico City: Heritage Recipes for Classic Home Cooking . Hugo Montero, a Mexico City native and owner of the popular New Orleans restau rant Casa Borrega, takes it even a step further: “Corn is the god of food in Mexico. It’s everything.” THE TASTE OF SUMMER On summer evenings in Mexico City, food carts draw a crowd. Many are serving elote, a traditional corn on the cob smothered in a mix of chili, butter, mayonnaise, crema, cotija cheese and a squeeze of lime. While

Something for the Corn-ivores By Susan Langenhennig Granger Corn is the bedrock of Mexican cuisine — quite literally, in the case of tortillas — and it’s the foundational ingredient of many modern recipes that hail from far beyond the Mexican border. This summer, as you enjoy corn on the cob, corn bread or maque choux, give a nod of appreciation for the work of the Indigenous people who lived in Southern Mexico at least 7,000 years ago. They were the ones who first cultivated and bred teosinte (pronounced “tA-O-´sin-tE”), a grassy early ancestor of modern-day corn.

each vendor follows a similar script, there’s plenty of room for improv. Some cooks grill the cobs; others boil them. All get slathered with a variety of toppings. “Every single night, you see the little carts; everybody has their own style,” Montero said. “But the corn has to be a little bit smoky; you want a little char on it.” Making Mexican street corn is “wildly easy to do. It’s very fast and very delicious,” said Chef Fredo Nogueira, a New Orleans native of Cuban descent who has eaten his way across Mexico, learning about the cuisine. At his restaurant Vals in Uptown New Orleans, which serves Latin American fare, tacos, salsas and ceviche take center stage. Also on the menu: an absolutely addictive version of elote. And like those street carts, Nogueira puts his own spin on it. “Our elote is not incredibly traditional; there is the same flavor profile, but we don’t grill ours,” he said. “We throw the whole thing in the deep fryer. It’s our unique take on it.” Nogueira spent many years working in restaurants in Chicago, a city with one of the largest populations of Mexican immigrants in the United States. Elote vendors can be found there, too. “In the Midwest, there’s a lot of corn,” he joked. For his elote, the corn is fried, then tossed in butter, chipotle mayo, cotija cheese and Nogueira’s version of Tajín, a spice mix of ancho chili powder and citric acid. For the home cook who wants to make elote, Nogueira and Montero both recommend grilling the cobs. “Get all the silk off,” Nogueira said, then lightly oil the cobs and grill them. “Take your time to make sure you’re getting good caramelization all around. When it’s done, apply butter

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