Esquites is a product of pre-colonial Mexico. The word esquites comes from the Nahuatl term, izquitl, which translates into toasted corn. And, in case you are wondering, Nahuatl was the primary language spoken throughout the Aztec empire! This esquites recipe, and others, can also be referred to as elotes en vaso. In Nahuatl, elotes means corn whereas the Spanish term vaso translates into vessel or cup. This Aztec-Spanish mash-up ends up meaning corn in a cup.  While the origins of esquites reach back to pre-European influence, it is important to note that this modern esquites recipe is a melding of cultural influences. The original, Aztec version was likely a bit less exciting. For example, citrus came to Mexico much later after trading was commonplace. Similarly, mayonnaise and cheese came only after colonization. In short, the Mexican street corn salad that we know today is uniquely Mexican with a taste of the Old World.