Street Corn Cups, Two Ways

Esquites — Mexican street corn in a cup — is one of the most perfect snack formats ever invented. Charred corn, something creamy, something salty, something acidic, something spicy, all in one container you can eat standing up. The format is so good that it deserves more than one flavor identity.

So this recipe gives you two.

The first is the classic done my way: charred corn folded into a jalapeño avocado crema with cotija, Tajín, and smoked paprika. The second takes the same charred corn base and sends it in a completely different direction — a kimchi cream built on Kewpie mayo and gochujang, topped with furikake, crushed nori, crispy garlic, and scallions.

Same technique. Same format. Two countries in two cups. Make one, make both, or set them side by side and let people choose — this is exactly the kind of thing that disappears at a party before anything else on the table.