Here is what you can expect in our article on all things popcorn:
- Never put sugar in a popcorn machine for popping
- Sweet popcorn is no less healthy than salty
- Popping corn and neutral oil are requirements for DIY popcorn
- Fun and delicious popcorn trends from TikTok taste great in real life, too
- Fancy popcorn varieties that you don't have to make yourself are available from us by Everly Grace and Joe & Seph’s
Popcorn – the ultimate comfort food. Yet one big question always remains. Does popcorn taste better sweet or rather salty?
We want to know: sweet or salty?
It is one of the greatest and arguably most controversial questions of humanity: sweet or salty popcorn – which tastes better? Okay, it's not quite that dramatic, but the question of which flavor suits the white flakes best is and remains a perennial favorite. And opinions vary widely. While people in many Anglosphere countries tend to reach for salty popcorn, we here in Germany are more used to sweet popcorn.
Sweet popcorn is traditionally produced in two ways. Cinemas and theaters use special machines that allow the kernels to be popped and simultaneously caramelized with the typical crunchy layer of sweet sugar. Most standard popcorn machines for home use, however, are not suitable for this process and can become sticky or break completely if you attempt to caramelize the popcorn in them. Instead, fans of DIY popcorn should let the flakes pop completely (whether in a popcorn machine or a pot) and then sweeten them directly in the snack bowl or in a separate pot. Powdered sugar is ideal for this, as it sticks easily to the popcorn and provides a pleasantly light sweetness, even if it doesn't form the caramel or toffee layer typical of movie theater popcorn.
By the way: The assumption that salty popcorn is significantly healthier than the sweet version is a myth. In fact, salty popcorn usually has more calories than sweet. The reason for this is that the majority of calories in popcorn come not from the sugar, but from the oil. While the additional calories from sugar are absent in salty popcorn, significantly more oil is usually used during preparation. Especially with movie theater popcorn, the caramelized sugar sticks to the popcorn by itself, whereas with salty popcorn, you rely on oil not only to pop the popcorn (for which relatively little oil is needed) but also to fix the salt to the flakes.
Making gourmet popcorn yourself
What all popcorn varieties have in common, whether from the cinema, the supermarket shelf, or DIY, is that they need the right types of corn and oil to pop properly (unless it is popcorn from an air fryer). For popping, whether you make popcorn yourself or go to the cinema, only popping corn is suitable. It has an especially hard hull and contains a lot of water. This combination ensures that when heated, the pressure can build up inside due to the evaporating water and the robust hull until the kernel literally explodes. To reach the required temperatures, people traditionally use neutral oils with high smoke points, e.g., rapeseed oil. If the popcorn does not have to be vegan at the end, butter is particularly well-suited, especially for sweet popcorn, as it harmonizes very well in terms of flavor with the sweetness of caramel.
Particularly high-quality popcorn varieties, such as American Heritage Popcorn made from heirloom seeds, have hard but especially thin hulls. These allow the corn to pop, but literally melt on the tongue when eaten, thus saving you the annoying mouthfeel of hulls known from the cinema. While the popcorn also tastes good from a pot, DIY popcorn is especially easy to make with machines produced specifically for this purpose, such as the Whirley Pop Popcorn Popper.
For that special kick of flavor, there is a whole range of delicious popcorn seasonings and spices, from sweet to spicy or even with aromatic herbs. There are almost no limits to the possible flavor combinations.
Gourmet popcorn meets TikTok trends
But besides the classic sweet and salty varieties, there is a whole world of other delicious ways to enjoy gourmet popcorn. TikTok & Co. lead the way:
Parmesan-garlic popcorn à la Italia
A short trip to Italy can be tempting, and not just in summer—especially if you can simply make yourself comfortable on your own couch, at least culinarily. For the Parmesan-garlic popcorn that is popular on TikTok and Instagram, you can simply refine your freshly popped corn with one of our Mediterranean spicy seasonings, such as the Tangy Dill Pickle popcorn seasoning from Urban Accents.
For even more spicy garlic notes, a pinch of Bourbon Smoked Garlic Salt from Bourbon Barrel Foods also works wonders. And a few drops of Roasted Garlic Oil from Stonewall Kitchen will make the hearts of all garlic fans beat at new heights. Refine your popcorn additionally with freshly shaved Parmesan, and your Mediterranean snack with Italian flair is ready.
Marshmallow-almond popcorn
Fans of sweet popcorn in particular can look forward to this TikTok trend for DIY popcorn. The crispy, buttery popcorn pairs perfectly with the sweet vanilla aromas of the vegan Dandies Mini Vanilla Marshmallows. As an aromatic counterpoint to the double portion of sweetness, simply drizzle a few drops of Nielsen-Massey almond extract over the mixture, and you have an aromatic mix that spreads almost a bit of Christmas market feeling but tastes incredibly good all year round.
And the best part: If you pop your popcorn in purely plant-based oil, then this sweet treat is completely vegan thanks to the 100% vegan marshmallows from Dandies.
Bacon-maple syrup popcorn
This savory mixture is not just a hit on TikTok, but thanks to the many influences from the classic American breakfast, it is also an absolute highlight for us when we make popcorn ourselves. Simply fry a few finely chopped bacon cubes until crispy brown while the popcorn is heating up and mix them into the finished popcorn for an extra salty note.
The natural sweetness of maple syrup, which you simply drizzle over the mix at the end and stir in well so that the popcorn flakes and bacon pieces get an even golden coating, provides the special kick of flavor in this recipe. This recipe tastes especially good with what is arguably the purest maple syrup in the world from Crown Maple, which, thanks to the absence of added sugar or sweeteners, does not mask the buttery popcorn with its own flavor but skillfully highlights the salty notes of the bacon.
Pumpkin pie spice popcorn
And finally, a typically American flavor experience that we no longer want to miss for our popcorn, thanks to the kitchen hacks on TikTok. Pumpkin pie spice is a classic from American cuisine like no other, and not just in the pies that are particularly popular at Thanksgiving. This unique spice blend from the USA, consisting of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and a hint of pepper, has already taken the world by storm in caffe lattes. And the next hit, users of TikTok and we agree, is aromatic pumpkin pie spice popcorn that you make yourself.
Instead of putting the mixture together yourself, you can simply fall back on our in-house, perfectly mixed and seasoned Pumpkin Pie Spice seasoning. Simply add some spice to the finished, still-warm popcorn and shake well so that the spice is evenly distributed over the popcorn.
Do not miss out on this culinary highlight in your own trial run.
Everly Grace – Gourmet popcorn without the DIY
If you would like to try fancy and delicious gourmet popcorn that is pre-seasoned and packaged Made in Germany, then reach for our gourmet popcorn varieties from Everly Grace. For the unique flavor experiences, most of the varieties are coated in buttery caramel, studded with exotic accents, e.g., from espresso, coconut, speculoos, or raspberry. Other varieties, similar to classic salty popcorn, rely on a dry seasoning mix, e.g., with Italian herbs or BBQ spice.
If you have acquired a taste for it and want to learn more about the origins and sometimes bizarre history of popcorn, then simply keep reading in our blog on the subject.
