Pop-quiz on popcorn!
How much do you know about this ubiquitous snack food?
Popcorn has been a top choice snack food for me for most of my entire life. Since I was very young I have always had a thing for popcorn of all kinds. Flavor variety of course but also its other unique characteristics like aroma, crunch, light airiness and even its color spectrum. Then of course there is the physical and auditory spectacle transformation process of this tiny hard, inedible kernel literally exploding itself into a puff of white flower-like edible piece of fibery goodness.
Popcorn comes in so many forms as well. Just on my own recollections we have good ole’ jiffy pop, microwaved bags, bags of raw kernels, pre-popped bagged corn, tins of flavored popcorn we see during the holidays, popcorn candy balls, popcorn you can pop right off the kernel itself and many others I am sure I’m missing.
Now I am not a popcorn expert by any means at all. I simply have a obsession and love for this addicting snack food. Popcorn was not really even known about or utilized as a crop commodity for farming until 1880 in the USA. A little over 140 years old as we know and consume it today. Popcorn in the US however goes way back much earlier than this via the Native Americans who were popping up the good stuff in hot sand pits. Popcorn kernels have been found in caves of southwestern Utah belonging to the predecessors of the Pueblo Indians that date back 1,000 years ago. For a full history of popcorn origins globally and domestically click here.
I want to offer other fellow fans of popcorn some helpful tips, insights, facts and useful applications of making, eating, selecting and understanding popcorn as a food that I feel is not well understood or even appreciated. Let’s get started.
Why do most prepackaged and microwave popcorn types have so many more calories than air popped types?
This really depends as not all pre-packaged or microwave popcorn brands and types are always high calorie but yes many of them are.
Given that many forms of bagged pre-packaged and microwave popcorn exist, you need to be sure and do an apples to apples comparison of say kettle corn to kettle corn or butter lovers to butter lovers and not a plain salted form to say caramel corn. That being the case you still need to keep in mind brand differences, production methods and of course, ingredient list and nutrition facts panels. All else aside, look at the nutrition facts panel (NFP) to help in deciding what’s truly lower calorie.
Many lite versions of microwave and pre-bagged popcorn are pretty darn good finds with low salt, sugar, calories and additives. Many bagged types are also designed around being lighter as well so you really need to ask what your after most. Ready to eat popcorn without need for a microwave or something you pop and eat hot, fresh out of the bag?
I happen to like making air popped popcorn from scratch in 3–4 minutes using a Cuisinart collapsible popcorn bowl. No oil needed. I can then flavor the popcorn anyway I want without any worry of what else was added to it. For $13 it’s cheaper than a popcorn machine too!
OK, so what is your favorite way to flavor up bland air-popped popcorn?
Ah now this is where it gets fun and tasty! I have toy’d with many creations and some were duds but lucky for me, many more have been hits for not just me but also my friends and family and even my fitness clients as well. Here are my top sweet and savory ways to flavor up air popped popcorn;
Place all your popped corn in a paper grocery bag and spray it well with canola oil spray. (not butter unless you want butter flavor) shake the bag after every few sprays to coat all the popcorn well. this assures the spices and seasonings stick. Close the bag after adding all spices and shake well. Open and enjoy!
For 12 cups popped corn (56g kernels) I suggest using ~1 level tablespoon of each spice as a base. Adjust as you wish for your liking.
savory
Pizza pie: pepper, oregano, Mrs. dash tomato seasoning, grated Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder.
Chinese chomp: Chinese 5 spice blend. red pepper flakes.
Taco time: paprika, taco seasoning, onion powder, chili powder.
sweet
Chocoholic: cocoa powder, cinnamon, kosher salt, sucralose
Cinna-Suga: cinnamon, sucralose, sea salt, flavored butter spray
What if I want to know more about popcorn? Are there true experts on popcorn who grow it, produces it, sells it and know all the details about popping corn?
I still have questions about popcorn myself and for that I have “my people” that I go to for such questions and 9 out of 10 times, they have the answer for me as well as really cool stories to go with it. I would direct you to go check out Indiana farmer Brian Scott on Twitter as he taught me more about popcorn production than any other person to date. Brian is super interactive with anyone who has an interest in popcorn. I also highly recommend you go listen to this short 29 minute podcast with Matt Helms, grower, producer and seller of his very own MO sourced family named popcorn brand.
Now go out and get popping, so much tasty snacking to be done!
