The Smokey Fat You Need To Try Adding To Popcorn

Whether you're looking for homemade nut-free snacks for school lunches or just want something tasty to munch on while you enjoy a weekend flick, popcorn is a convenient and affordable snack loved by many. Popcorn may have been discovered by Native Americans thousands of years ago but Popcorn.org claims these hard round kernels have had quite a colorful journey ranging from their integral use in Aztec ceremonies in the 1500s all the way to popcorn's appearance in 19th-century breakfast bowls and movie theaters as years passed.

Present-day Americans aren't falling short in showing their love for popcorn either. National Today discovered out of 1,000 surveyed Americans, over 90% enjoy popcorn. According to BakeryandSnacks.com, popcorn popularity may not only be attributed to convenience. Sure the microwave gave way to easily popped corn in the mid-1940s, but when measured without all the extras, popcorn is in fact, a healthy whole-grain snack. 

Prevention describes how air-popped popcorn is naturally low in calories and contains small but notable amounts of certain antioxidants like polyphenols, and vitamins like folate and iron. Despite your reasons for choosing popcorn as your preferred snack, these puffed kernels serve as a neutral base for a variety of flavors. Before unveiling the unique fat you may want to add the next time you whip up a batch, let's discuss the most popular popcorn flavors and methods of preparation.

Making popcorn is quite simple and you're in luck since you have more than one way of procuring a freshly popped bowl of crunchy goodness. The Times Wirecutter outlines the most common methods of popcorn preparation — apart from buying a special air popper — you can pop kernels in a microwave-safe bowl or make popcorn the traditional way directly on your stove. While the stovetop method may be the only one that requires oil or fat, Wirecutter claims popcorn, made stove-top style, is the best tasting.

As far as seasonings go, according to SF&WB, a 2021 survey conducted by the Popcorn Board via OnePoll on the connection between consumers' popcorn flavor preferences in relation to their movie choices, found 30% of Americans enjoyed butter on their popcorn. When it came to the most popular seasonings, beyond salt, garlic salt, taco seasoning, and parmesan cheese were also favored by survey participants.

Additionally, Mintel claims ready-to-eat popcorn sales have expanded significantly over the years due to the expanse of flavors, as consumers opt for not just cheese-flavored popcorn but also have a taste for more indulgent flavors like caramel and chocolate. However, if you're determined to make your own popcorn yet still desire a new flavor to excite your taste buds, you may want to opt for one unique fat that will impart a robust, smokey essence onto your next crunchy bowl of kernels.

If you opt to make stovetop popcorn and are eager to try The Pioneer Woman's easy-to-follow recipe, you may be tempted to use canola oil as her instructions suggest since it comes with a high smoke point, ideal for popcorn popping. If you're feeling the urge to try something new, and you already enjoy bacon, then the time has come for you to dress your food in bacon fat. You may be unfamiliar with how bacon fat can enhance the flavor of your next bowl of popcorn, but chef Brother Luck says, per Rachael Ray Show that the prime way to add a flavor boost to your popcorn is by adding bacon or onion fat.

According to the Bensa Bacon Lover's Society, bacon fat is the rendered grease left over when cooking bacon. This leftover meat-flavored fat also has a smoke point of 325 degrees, making it an ideal accompaniment to popcorn. LifeHacker claims the flavor of bacon fat popcorn is unlike any other. The salty, meat-filled flavor leaves any popcorn lover eager for more. If you want to start slow, simply use bacon grease in place of any other neutral oil, or if you want to jazz this concoction up even more, you can try Food Network's maple bacon popcorn which not only includes bacon fat but also crumbled bacon and pure maple syrup.