Corn on the cob has long been enjoyed with butter, but at Fiestas Patrias in downtown Denver on Sunday, it had a different sidekick: mayonnaise.
Among the thousands of people at Civic Center for the celebration of Mexican Independence Day, or El Grito, some attendees called this taste “authentic.” Others had another reaction to the corn and mayo combination: “ugh.”
For Jessica Quintana, 17, it’s this and other “authentic Mexican” foods that get her family to come to the downtown festival every year. Jessica’s first pick: corn on the cob with butter, mayonnaise and lime juice.
“My family is from Chihuahua, Mexico, and this is how we always eat it,” Quintana said. “But it’s 50-50 with my friends who have tried it.”
Lamont Lynch Jr., 13, of Aurora, has been working the Boney’s Barbecue booth for the past five years. He watches over the husked corn as ears roast over the flames, then serves them with condiments including lime juice, chili powder, Parmesan cheese, and of course, mayonnaise.
“At first I thought it was weird, too, like ‘ugh,’ ” Lamont said. “But it’s kind of creamy and adds flavor, and it’s actually really good.”
The family business expected to sell 500 ears of corn by the end of the day.
On the other side of the park, hundreds of people waited in line for the thousands of free samples given out by King Soopers, from favorites including Gamesa, Jarritos and Tampico.
Spokespeople at the grocery store giveaway said that the samples were from “truly Hispanic,” high-quality brands. They said many of the companies started in Mexico before moving to the U.S. market.
The festival commemorated El Grito, or “The Cry,” Father Miguel Hidalgo’s call for Mexican independence from Spain on Sept. 16, 1810.
But not everything in Civic Center was Mexican, although the music on several stages was mostly in Spanish. There were inflatable toys for kids and carnival standbys including cotton candy and snow cones.
But Quintana stuck to her traditional favorites, including something she called “mangoes on a stick.”
Vendors peel the skin of the mango, poke in a wooden stick and drench the fruit with lime juice and chili powder.
“They also do it with cucumbers and other fruits,” Quintana said. “If you tried it, you’d like it.”
Sally S. Ho: 303-954-1638 or sho@denverpost.com
