Orville Redenbacher's newest ready to eat popcorn to hit the market is his "Pop Crunch" line featuring four flavors: Brown Sugar/Cinnamon, White and Sharp Cheddar Mix, Parmesan Herb, and Cheddar/Caramel Mix. Let me warn you now, if you find it in your supermarket, buy it, buy lots of it; it goes as quickly as it comes in and there is a very good reason why. Now I was lucky to find one bag, that's right, only one bag, of the Brown Sugar/Cinnamon; all the other flavors were out of stock again and this one bag was way in the back of the shelving. I enjoy popcorn, either air popped or already made; microwave popcorn I find to be either stale tasting, bland or too moist; so imagine my happiness with this new product.
The ingredient listing states that the popcorn is "whole grain"; what isn't nowadays? Corn is either considered a grain or a vegetable depending on how it is processed, and what it is being used for. Not impressed by this. It states on the front of the bag that it is half the fat of the "leading potato chip brand". Popcorn is normally lower in fat, well let me restate that; air popped popcorn is lower in fat because oil isn't used to cook it. Sort of impressed, but not by much; what impressed me the most was the crunch and the flavor.
Pop Crunch is amazingly crunchy on the outside, but still retains that typical fluffy popcorn texture within. The flavor of the cinnamon in the Brown Sugar/Cinnamon variety is strong, so not only can you smell it, but the flavor explodes in your mouth. It's a great munching experience! Carb wise, because of the brown sugar and corn syrup listed with the ingredients, a full cup is 44 grams which is pretty typical for a "caramel corn" type of popcorn. No surprise then that the sugar content is on the high side (20 grams for one cup).
I intend on hunting down those others varieties and trying them out; if the Brown Sugar/Cinnamon was so phenomenal, I bet the others will be too. If you find it, try it, or you're just not a true popcorn lover.
Mary Cokenour
