Caramel corn
Encyclopedia
Popcorn
Popcorn, or popping corn, is corn which expands from the kernel and puffs up when heated. Corn is able to pop because, like sorghum, quinoa and millet, its kernels have a hard moisture-sealed hull and a dense starchy interior. This allows pressure to build inside the kernel until an explosive...
coated with a sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
or molasses
Molasses
Molasses is a viscous by-product of the processing of sugar cane, grapes or sugar beets into sugar. The word molasses comes from the Portuguese word melaço, which ultimately comes from mel, the Latin word for "honey". The quality of molasses depends on the maturity of the sugar cane or sugar beet,...
based caramel
Caramel
Caramel is a beige to dark-brown confection made by heating any of a variety of sugars. It is used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts, as a filling in bonbons, and as a topping for ice cream, custard and coffee....
candy shell. Typically a sugar solution or syrup
Syrup
In cooking, a syrup is a thick, viscous liquid consisting primarily of a solution of sugar in water, containing a large amount of dissolved sugars but showing little tendency to deposit crystals...
is made and heated until it browns and becomes thick, producing a caramelized candy syrup. This hot candy is then mixed with popped popcorn, and allowed to cool. Sometimes a candy thermometer
Candy thermometer
A candy thermometer, also known as a sugar thermometer, is a thermometer used to measure the temperature and therefore the stage of a cooking sugar solution. These thermometers can also be used to measure hot oil for deep frying.There are several kinds of candy thermometers available...
is used, as making caramel is time-consuming and requires skill to make well without burning the sugar. The process creates a sweet flavored, crunchy snack food
Snack food
A snack is a portion of food oftentimes smaller than that of a regular meal, that is generally eaten between meals. Snacks come in a variety of forms including packaged and processed foods and items made from fresh ingredients at home....
or treat. Some varieties, after coating with the candy syrup, are baked in an oven to crisp the mixture. Mixes of caramel corn sometimes contain nuts
Nut (fruit)
A nut is a hard-shelled fruit of some plants having an indehiscent seed. While a wide variety of dried seeds and fruits are called nuts in English, only a certain number of them are considered by biologists to be true nuts...
, such as peanut
Peanut
The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
s, pecans, almonds, or cashews.
History
The combination of caramel and corn dates back at least as far as the 1890s with the strong molasses flavor of Cracker JackCracker Jack
Cracker Jack is a U.S. brand of snack consisting of strong molasses flavored candy-coated popcorn and peanuts, well known for being packaged with a prize of nominal value inside. Some food historians consider it the first junk food...
, an early version of which was introduced at the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
World's Fair in 1893
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
. The lighter, sweet but un-caramelized kettle corn
Kettle corn
Kettle corn is a sweet-and-salty variety of popcorn that is mixed or seasoned with typically, a light colored refined sugar, salt, and oil. It was traditionally made in cast iron kettles, but may also be made in metal pans now.-History in the United States:...
, may be a North American Colonial
European colonization of the Americas
The start of the European colonization of the Americas is typically dated to 1492. The first Europeans to reach the Americas were the Vikings during the 11th century, who established several colonies in Greenland and one short-lived settlement in present day Newfoundland...
predecessor to caramel corn.
Commercial versions
There are many commercial brands and forms of caramel corn available, such as Cracker JackCracker Jack
Cracker Jack is a U.S. brand of snack consisting of strong molasses flavored candy-coated popcorn and peanuts, well known for being packaged with a prize of nominal value inside. Some food historians consider it the first junk food...
, Fiddle Faddle
Fiddle faddle
Fiddle Faddle is candy-coated popcorn produced by ConAgra Foods. Introduced in 1967, the snack is commonly found in discount and drug stores. Fiddle Faddle consists of popped popcorn covered with either caramel or butter toffee and mixed with peanuts....
, Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs
Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs
Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs is an Australian snack food made by the Greens food company.Originally released in the 1970s, it is caramelized, ready-to-eat popcorn, similar to the American Cracker Jack. The popcorn is coated with toffee and rolled in crushed peanuts.Flavors include butterscotch and...
, and Crunch 'n Munch
Crunch 'n Munch
Crunch 'n Munch is a brand of ConAgra Foods consisting of caramel-coated popcorn and peanuts. Crunch 'n Munch currently comes in its original form of Buttery Toffee as well as the added varieties of Caramel, Chocolate & Caramel, and Almond Supreme.-History:...
. In grocery stores, at cinemas, and convenience stores, pre-bagged caramel corn made locally may also be sold. The Chicago based Nuts on Clark
Nuts on Clark
Nuts on Clark is a gourmet popcorn, caramel corn, cheese corn, and nuts retailer and manufacturer based on the north side of Chicago. Located on Clark Street near Wrigley Field, the company was founded by a Chicago couple in 1979 and has since expanded to locations at O'Hare International Airport...
is one example of a specialty caramel corn and popcorn company.
Other sweet flavored popcorn
Some types of candy coated popcorn are made with a white sugar-based candy coating rather than the traditional caramelized versions, for a lighter flavor.Other natural or artificial flavorings are sometimes added to this hot, clear candy syrup before it's put on popcorn, such as: strawberry, watermelon, coconut, green apple, chocolate, or blueberry. Though many more often exist in specialized popcorn candy shops. These flavors of candy-coated corn can often be found in candy shops and specialized stores within malls
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
and milk bars.
See also
- CretorsCretorsC. Cretors & Company was established in 1885 with the invention of the first popcorn machine to pop corn in oil. 126 years later they are still manufacturing popcorn machines and other concessions equipment. C. Cretors & Co. is still owned by the Cretors family in Chicago, which is in its fifth...
The Chicago company who invented the first commercial popcorn machine - Kettle cornKettle cornKettle corn is a sweet-and-salty variety of popcorn that is mixed or seasoned with typically, a light colored refined sugar, salt, and oil. It was traditionally made in cast iron kettles, but may also be made in metal pans now.-History in the United States:...
the sweetened popcorn with a lighter, thinner (in both flavor and color) sweet coating