Give your Popcorn a Gourmet Twist

Popcorn has been one snack that has been constant for centuries. It is believed that Popcorn was discovered in 4700 BC and if you go to see there hasn't been much change to this humble movie snack except for a few standard flavors.

Having said that some of the food geniuses around the world are changing that. Companies worldwide are transforming Popcorn into a gourmet snack. They are adding some crazy yet delish flavors like Crispy bacon, goat cheese, strawberry cheesecake, wasabi-sweet ginger, chipotle ranch, sour cream, and onion, etc to regular popcorn - YUMMM!! India is also slowly catching up to this trend. Companies like POP and 4700BC have introduced new flavors like Tex-Mex Salsa Golden Cheese, Classic Country Caramel, Mocha Walnut Choco-All-Ate, Peanut Butter Dark Choco-All-Ate, etc.

We know they sound super tempting but unfortunately these gourmet popcorn are available only in select cities in India. No need to worry though; till the time they start selling in your city why not try to make some yourself at home with these easy recipes:

The Popcorn

Stovetop popcorn is a great way to go. Not only is it incredibly simple, but also when using stovetop popcorn you won’t have to worry about the questionable additives in the microwave variety. Each recipe requires this as a base.

Ingredients:
½ unpopped popcorn kernels (yields 8-10 cups, popped)
3 tablespoons oil

Directions:
Add oil to a large (preferably deep) pan on medium heat, along with three kernels. Once all three kernels have popped, add in the rest of the corn. Shake the pan and make sure oil is evenly distributed. Cover pan with lid, leaving it slightly skewed so steam can escape (no one likes soggy popcorn). Shake pan gently about every couple of seconds. Once there are 2-3 seconds in between pops, it’s ready! Immediately remove from heat.

Keep this popcorn aside to use it as base to add different flavors to them.

Flavor 1: Sriacha-Honey Sesame Popcorn

Ingredients:

Popcorn
3 tablespoons butter
1 heaping tablespoon Sriacha
1.5 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Salt, to taste

Directions:

Set popcorn aside in a large bowl. Melt butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Stir Sriracha Sauce and honey into butter until well combined. Take off the heat. Slowly pour half of your mixture over popcorn and toss to coat. Do the same with the remainder. Sprinkle sesame seeds over popcorn, and toss again. Salt to taste, and serve right away!

Flavor 2: Tequila Caramel Popcorn

Ingredients:

16 cups popcorn
1 cup peanuts
½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons agave nectar/honey
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons tequila

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250˚F. Mix popcorn and peanuts in a large bowl that can withstand heat and set aside. Combine butter, brown sugar, agave nectar/honey, corn syrup and salt in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, and once the sugar has dissolved, boil for 4 minutes. Take pan off of heat, and add baking soda and tequila. Mixture will steam when tequila is added, which can be very hot. Immediately pour the caramel over the popcorn mixture, and toss with two spoons until evenly spread. Place caramel corn on two non-stick baking sheets, and bake in the oven for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Flavor 3: Dark Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Popcorn

Ingredients:

Popcorn
2 tablespoons butter
Salt, to taste
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate
1.5 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
½ cup white chocolate

Directions:

Toss popcorn with 2 tablespoons of melted butter and lightly salt to taste. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Combine semi-sweet chocolate and peanut butter in a bowl and melt on high in 30-second intervals. After each interval, stir the mixture so your chocolate doesn’t burn. It should be good to go after 1:30. Once the chocolate and peanut butter is completely melted and combined, use a spoon to generously drizzle over the popcorn. Melt white chocolate in the microwave on 20-second intervals, stirring with each break. It should be done after a minute. Again, drizzle melted white chocolate over popcorn.

Flavor 4: Rosemary Parmesan Popcorn

Ingredients:

Popcorn
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced rosemary
½ cup finely grated parmesan (freshly grated is best)
Salt, to taste

Directions:

Set popcorn aside in a large bowl. Melt butter and olive oil in a saucepan on medium-low heat. Once melted, add in rosemary and raise heat slightly. Cook for around 2 minutes, but be careful not to let the butter brown. Remove from heat and pour half of your mixture over popcorn and toss to coat. Do the same with the remainder. Sprinkle in parmesan, and toss to coat.

Flavor 5: Caramel & Marshmallow Popcorn

Ingredients:

8-10 cups popped popcorn
¼ cup butter
½ cup brown sugar
8-10 large marshmallows
½ teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Over medium heat, combine butter, brown sugar, large marshmallows, and vanilla in a small saucepan. Mix constantly until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Make sure not to overcook it, otherwise, you’ll end up with an over-caramelized mess. Pour the caramel mixture over popped popcorn and toss to combine.

You can buy these gourmet food products online in India at The Gourmet Box.

Recipe & Images: Credit to the source website