I was texting with a friend the other day and we were discussing the glory that is popcorn. We both agreed that there is no snack that can compare with a big bowl of freshly popped corn topped with hot, melted butter. And we also agreed that kettle corn is just stupid.
Now, before you cancel me or start telling me the reasons why I am so wrong, let me just say this. I understand why you think you like kettle corn. We live in a non-committal society so I can absolutely recognize your desire to have both salty and sweet in one bite. Get everything you can out of one moment- instant gratification, am I right?
It makes sense, but no.
This obsession with “salty and sweet” that has come up lately is just not something I can get on board with. There is culinary reasoning to adding actual, physical SALT to a sweet dish like topping a brownie or chocolate chip cookie with flaky sea salt. That has to do with texture and the chemical way salt changes a flavor. But forcing a food to be both salty and sweet is extremely confusing for both the dish and for the consumer. Pick a damn side.
You’re probably saying “wow, that’s so closed-minded of you, I thought you were better than that.” It’s okay, I know you’re just upset.
Here’s the thing, when you put just enough savory and just enough sweet so that you taste both, you’re not allowing the food to really shine. Kettle corn is a great example. You can barely taste the sugar, it’s so slight, but you know that at some point, the piece of popcorn was looked at by some sugar crystals. Then there’s a smattering of salt on top, not enough that it’s actually salty, but occasionally you get a little tingle on your tastebuds that resembles salt.
I ask you: what kind of eating experience is that?
Savor the Taste
Now is when I lecture you about savoring your food and appreciating it for the intentional pleasure that it is. Obviously many foods combine different flavors and tastes- many of my savory dishes are going to be both salty and slightly acidic- that’s called balance. But some of these senses, especially tart and bitter, are meant to be complementary to the other larger parts of your palate like sweet or salty.
Salt can bring out the sweetness in a dessert, but it doesn’t have to taste like salt. When you put sweet and salty together, it’s like combining oppositional colors on the color wheel. Sure, they can technically go together, I mean you could say that about literally anything on the planet.
Blend with Care
When we blend so many flavors and ingredients, we don’t allow them to shine. You know when you were little and you’d use every color in the box and it would just make brown? Yeah, it’s kind of like that. Let your flavors shine. Pick one that you want to feature, like garlic, or citrus, or brown sugar, and then use things that accentuate that, not bury it.
In Chicago, there’s this famous mix of caramel and cheddar popcorn. I love that shit. And I mean, I love it so much I’ve eaten an entire bag in one sitting and considered going back for more. You might be thinking “but Taryn, isn’t that combining salty and sweet?” No, my dear reader, it is not. Each piece of popcorn has its own coating. One is fully cheddar, one is fully caramel. When you put both pieces in your mouth, it’s an insane explosion of flavor. Or you can have one after the other, getting the lasting effects of each while focusing on one at a time.
Go eat your kettle corn if you want to, I guess. But just know that there is a better life out there for you.
