The Egg and I

(Bonus points will be awarded to the first person who explains the relevance of that title.)

In recent years kettle corn has been making a comeback in the United States, after falling from favor over the prior century. And that’s a good thing. Kettle corn is one of those wonderful confections that satisfy both the salt and the sugar receptors in our taste buds. The flavor layering involved is some kind of black magic. Which in itself suggests a Halloween treat. But in addition, many corn treats (such as the popcorn balls reviewed earlier, and the cosplay version we call candy corn) are Halloween staples. Oh, and kettle corn is traditionally made in a cast-iron kettle or cauldron. That suggests witches, right?

So I was pleased when my friend Robert provided me with a kettle corn product in a single serving package, all gussied up for Halloween. (It was the kettle corn, and not Robert, that was gussied up.) So let’s review this puppy!

1. Packaging. This is very well done. The packaging roughly takes the shape of a cone, which is handy for shaking the popcorn into your mouth a little bit at a time without getting your hands sticky. The upper half of the cellophane package is clear, which affords the all-important view of the actual treat that’s helpful to a potential consumer. At the same time, the package is well-decorated with a skeleton that bears a passing resemblance to Ziggy Stardust. The packaging really wants to make sure you understand that there’s popcorn inside, for not only is it visible through the clear cellophane, but it’s also labeled both as “kettle corn” and, somewhat superflously, “popcorn.” Plus, the name of the company, prominently featured on the package, is “Popcornopolis.” (Incidentally, if you like popcorn, you should check out Popcornopolis online. They have an impressive range of products.)

Where was I? Oh, yes. This packaging is practical, colorful, and evocative of Halloween. 3 points.

2. Appearance of the Treat. This kettle corn looks pretty much like all other kettle corns. The folks at Popcornopolis made no effort to color it orange and black (which, I modestly suggest, would be an inspired idea) or otherwise tart it up for Halloween. But there’s also something to be said about its verity as a traditional, simple treat. I also have to give credit for the quality of this popcorn: most of the pieces are well-shaped, perfectly popped, and evenly coated with sugar. The photo below shows the entire contents of the bag, and clearly there is very few broken pieces, kernels, or popcorn dust. And this package survived Southwest flight from Sacramento to LA in my backpack. I’ll give it 2 points.

3. Taste. If I weren’t such a manly man, I would call the taste “divine.” But because I’m a manly man, I’ll instead say “me like.” The alchemists at Popcornopolis managed to perfectly balance the salty and sweet flavors of this kettle corn. And the intensity of those two flavors was just right as well. The popcorn was fresh and crisp, and, as I mentioned above, there were no kernels or popcorn dust. Seriously, this was the best popcorn snack I ever remember eating. 3 points.

4. Value. Robert informs me he bought these in a 12 pack at Costco for about $12. So this 0.9-ounce package cost a buck. That’s pretty high on a per-ounce basis, but it’s pretty good if you measure it by volume. I’ll give it two points.

Steve’s Spooktoberfest Score: 10 out of 12 points, making it a definite TREAT. See if you can get Robert to give you a package!