treet food. Gourmet street food. If this style of dining wasn’t already tapping into the foodie zeitgeist last year with arrivals Taco Truck, Gumbo Kitchen and Le Sausage, it’s certainly doing so now. Just look at the rapid following garnered by Preston’s very own ode to corn, Cornutopia.

The street food movement (and indeed, it is a worldwide movement) evolved from the farmer’s market movement, which brought food direct from its source to the urban populace. Ellie Marrin, owner and proprietor of Cornutopia, is proud to call Preston Market Cornutopia’s home because it means she has the biggest pantry of fresh ingredients on her doorstep each day.

It was after visiting Turkey and Nepal, where corn is sold on street corners as a meal in itself, that Marrin came up with the idea to run a mobile van dedicated to the humble cob. Cornutopia’s food is fresh and creative. Six styles of corn are on offer, with all the trimmings of mayonnaise and cayenne pepper, or simply some butter and salt.

Choose from four El Tacos – steak, veggie, chicken or prawn – which come with fresh tomato salsa, sour cream and some excellent sauces. These are also crafted from scratch and doused in fiery chipotle made from fresh smoked jalapeños.

In its concept and delivery, Cornutopia is adventurous and different. People mill around the van chowing down on their tacos, or share their meals around little white tables nearby, miniature cacti as their centrepieces.

Neighbourly chats ensue. In this way, what is ostensibly a food van is also a new space for community.

Visit Cornutopia this weekend at the Food Trucks Unite event as part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival and then, of course, follow them on Facebook and twitter for updates.

Preston Market, 2/30 Centreway, Preston

Features
Vegan, gluten free and ‘more hardcore’ options available

Hours
Wed, Thurs & Sat 8am–3pm
Fri 8am–8pm

cornutopia.com.au