Why Is Corn on the Cob Banned on Mexican Independence Day in Cuernavaca?

Did you know that Cuernavaca is the only city in Mexico that bans corn on the cob during Mexican Independence Day?

Here’s the strange story behind this very Mexican Independence Day tradition.

What is Mes Patrio in Mexico?

September in Mexico is called el mes patrio – Patriotic Month.

Mexico doesn’t just celebrate Independence Day — September is an entire month of patriotic celebrations. From September 1st to September 30th Mexico is draped in red, white and green – the colors of the Mexican flag.

Local street stalls sell flags and patriotic souvenirs, taxis trail flags from their windows; shops, restaurants and businesses proudly display the Mexican flag – and in the center of Cuernavaca there are huge 10-meter Mexican flags hanging down the facades of the Government Palace.

And of course, on the 16th of September – Independence Day – the patriotic fervour reaches its high point.

It is a very beautiful time of year. Just as Day of the Dead is orange, September in Mexico is red, white and green.

What happens on Independence Day in Cuernavaca?

Independence Day is all about celebrating the independence of Mexico from Spain.

The night before Independence day, on September 15th, Mexicans kick the celebrations off with El Grito. The word grito in Spanish means “shout” or “cry”. The ceremony commemorates Miguel Hidalgo’s famous call to arms in 1810, which is traditionally regarded as the beginning of Mexico’s War of Independence. All across the country, Mexicans gather in city squares to hear a loose reenactment of this famous speech.

In Cuernavaca, crowds gather in the main square in the evening of September 15th. There is music, mariachi and traditional dances.

Once it gets dark, local politicians address the crowd from the stage. They shout phrases about Mexico – about its proud culture, history and traditions.

And after each phrase the crowd shouts “¡viva!” (The word viva in Spanish means ¡long live!).

At the end, the speaker shouts “¡Viva México! (Long live Mexico!) three times, and after each time the crowd responds with ¡Viva!

What are elotes preparados?

Corn on the cob in Mexico is called elote. It is one of the most typical foods in Mexico – and one of the most ancient.

Maize has been cultivated in Mexico for thousands of years, long before the arrival of the Aztecs, Maya and other great civilisations of Mesoamerica.

So what does it mean when we say the elote is preparado? The word preparado in Spanish means prepared – in this case the corn on the cob is prepared with condiments. The typical Mexican condiments for elote are lime juice, mayonnaise and chili sauce. ¡Muy sabroso!

It is perhaps the most typical Mexican street food of all time.

All across Mexico, on any night of the week, you will see families enjoying hot elotes preparados. Vendors sell them from stalls in the main squares of most Mexican towns.

So if elote preparado is the most typical Mexican street food of all time, why is it banned in Cuernavaca during the most patriotic day of the year – Independence Day?

Why is the sale of elotes preparados banned in Cuernavaca on Independence Day?

This dates back to September 15th 1994. Several protestors attended the Independence Day Grito ceremony in Cuernavaca Zócalo, the main city square, to protest the policies of the then Governor of Cuernavaca Jorge Carrillo Olea. As a form of protest one of the protestors threw an elote preparado at him.

Thankfully it didn’t hurt him but it did splatter him with mayonnaise, lime and chili powder.

Since 1994, there have been several other incidents of this unusual form of protest.

Due to this, in 2022, the local government took action and restricted the sale of elotes preparados in the center of Cuernavaca on Independence Day.

But don’t worry.

If you are hungry on Independence Day in Cuernavaca, there are lots of other delicious options.

Esquites — corn kernels served in a cup — are still allowed.

And so is pozole – the delicious Mexican stew that is also a traditional Independence Day meal in Cuernavaca.

You won’t go hungry. Just don’t get tempted to do anything with it apart from eat it!