Seriously Good Popcorn-Review of the Chicago Mix
There are many unusual food items that become trendy here in Japan. Pancakes are one of those things and although it's been a few years since the pancake boom started, lines to indulge is still beyond absurd.
Recently, another American import has arrived on the Japanese culinary scene. Since the opening of Garrett's Popcorn in Harajuku, popcorn is on everyone's mind as well as taste buds. Hour-long lines are the norm to get your hands on them. Honestly, that's something I could never do and no matter how tempting it may seem, I much prefer to use my time in other ways.
So it didn't surprise me when I started seeing bags of gourmet popcorn popping up all over town. In addition to the local brands, imports such as G.H. Cretors Popcorn can now be found in almost any medium to high-end supermarket. Now they don't come cheap and at 500 yen ( approximately $5 US ) per bag, they certainly are gourmet. Being curious as to why everyone was crazy about them, I went ahead and sprluged on a bag of the Cretors Chicago Mix, which is a mix of their cheese and caramel popcorn.
The first thing I noticed was how fresh the popcorn tasted. Seriously fresh popcorn from a bag? That's what I thought, but each kernel of popped corn was crispy and full of corn flavor. The company claims that they use all natural ingredients such as real cheddar cheese and cane sugar caramel ( no corn syrup ) as well as using only GMO-free corn and that's a very good thing indeed.
Interesting Facts
- Making popcorn since 1885.
- G.H. Cretors are credited with inventing the modern popcorn machine.
- Made in USA
The Bottom Line
The sweet and salty mix combined with the crispness of each kernel of corn really feels like a party in your mouth. This popcorn was so good that I actually went through an entire bag in one sitting. I felt so guilty that I skipped dinner that day. Remember what I said about how costly I thought they were? Well, I went back to that store and bought myself three more bags! Honestly, what's in this stuff?
If you love popcorn, you owe it to yourself to try a bag. Others just don't compare to this stuff. And if you end up eating an entire bag yourself, just skip dinner like I did. Believe me, it's totally worth it.
Check out the Pictures Below
Photo Gallery
Click thumbnail to view full-sizeQ & A Session Video
Learn more about the background of the company from Claire Cretor, President of GH Cretors Popped Corn.