EAT IN ASIA / Destinations / Other destinations / Central america / Guatemala
Elote dulce vs elote asado - boiled vs grilled sweet corn
Corn in any form is obligatory in all Central American countries. And Guatemala cannot exist with it neither. Empanadas, tostadas, elotes, tamales or enchiladas; all of them base on corn and an everyday meal of all Guatemalans. No matter whether that is for a breakfast, for a lunch or for a dinner, corn is served in some form. Either it is in the main meal or included in tostadas served separately and replacing a regular bread.
Apart from that, a sweet corn on the cob or a grilled one is a very popular street snack (Read also about the Best Mexican street food). Known as elote dulce or elote asado, depending on the form of serving it, corn ears are popular in all regions in Guatemala.
What is elote dulce AKA elote loco?
Elote dulce means literally sweet corn. But, although the name might suggest that is a dessert, it is not. Elote dulce is a general term for a regular corn, that is usually served boiled and garnished with sauces and cheese or cream.
How is Guatemalan elote loco prepared?
This Guatemalan street food snack is extremely easy in preparation. Firstly, corn on the con is boiled in a salted water until it is soft and tender. The cooking pot is kept on fire to keep corns warm. During that process, corns are removed and added depending on the number of sold elotes. Generally speaking – one sold means one raw added to the cooking pot. When the elote is ready, it is removed from the cooking pot and garnished.
Garnishing elote dulce
Just before serving the elote loco, it is garnished. The most typical garnishing set includes a tomato sauce, mustard, mayonnaise, cheese and of course salt, that is used during the cooking process. Apart from that, cream might replace the cheese and mayonnaise.
At the beginning all sauces are put. Finally, as the last step, the cheese is added - it i nicely sprinkled over the whole corn. This cheese is finely grated and is a dry one. Let’s say, more or less it is similar to a well-known parmesan cheese. However, it is an original Guatemalan one.
How does Guatemalan elote loco taste like?
Thanks to all these ingredients – sauces and cheese, elote loco is colorful and full of tastes. It is slightly salty and slightly sweet. None of these flavors is over dominating. It is well balanced, and what is important, it is not spicy, well unless you ask for preparing a hot version.
Although the corn is boiled in a relatively salty water, when removed and paired with sauces, this saltiness is reduced and creates a well-balanced taste.
Finely, the grated dry cheese that is sprinkled over the whole corn adds a unique flavor, that should not be skipped, of course, as long as you do not want to have a vegan elote loco.
Corn seeds are delicate, soft and extremely tender. They are softer than these from the can. They are also not so hard in their form.
What is elote asado?
Another form of eating plain corn in Guatemala is elote asado. What does it exactly mean? Well, literally it is a roasted corn. I would rather say that elote asado means corn on the cob grilled over a hot charcoal.
How is a Guatemalan elote asado prepared?
Firstly, corn ears are peeled. All outer leaves are removed and an excessive upper part, that is almost deprived of seeds is cut off. However, while the top part is thrown away, these outer leaves are kept and used for serving elote asado as a take-away.
When the charcoal in the grill is hot enough, so prepared corn ears are placed over it. In that moment the roasting process starts. It is being accelerated by the cook by waving over corns.
When it is ready, it is removed from the grilling utensil and seasoned.
Seasoning elote asado
Seasoning elote asado is very basic, but gives a spectacular effect. Just salt and lime. Nothing more. The grilled corn on the cob is richly sprinkled with salt and sprinkled with lime. For best results, one third of the lime is used per elote.
How does elote asado taste like?
Guatemalan elote asado is delicate, salty and sour in the same time. It is not spicy, but with a dominating salty and sour note. Apart from that, a slight grilling flavor is distinguishable
Guatemalan elotes
Comparing to corns on the cob served in Mexico, in the Dominican Republic or in Costa Rica, these in Guatemala are much more soft and delicate. Apart from that, they are mild in their taste and definitively not spicy.
