Elotes (roasted corn kernels), coming to a parking lot near you.Here's the drill: You lock your car and head across the parking lot for the supermarket entrance. On your way, you spot a small trailer with an open window and a line of people. The sign says "Roasted Corn � Elotes." Feeling hungry, you queue up. The friendly bilingual vendor inside hands you a fresh-roasted ear of corn ($2) or a plastic cup of crisp kernels ($2.50 or $4). You apply condiments from plastic bottles: salt, pepper, powdered red chile, cayenne, parmesan, lemon pepper seasoning, liquid margarine, mayonnaise, lemon juice. By the time you reach the supermarket door, you've finished your snack, hopefully without dripping anything on your shirt. And aside from the tablespoon of liquid Parkay you squeezed on, this fast food is actually good for you.
Trailas de elotes ("corn trailers"), as they are called in Texas, are a novelty in the U.S. but a familiar sight in Mexico, where they are a staple on plazas and at mercados all over the country. Lately, they've been making their way north, especially to U.S. cities with substantial Latino populations.
So the next time you find yourself at a county fair buying a turkey leg, look around: Someone might be selling elotes a few feet away. In Austin, you'll find corn for sale in the H-E-B supermarket parking lots at South Congress Avenue at West Oltorf Street, East Riverside Drive at South Pleasant Valley Road, and South Interstate 35 at William Cannon Drive. They're open seven days, from about 1 to 9 p.m.