Pop Mix by Marilyn

Oh snacks, I love my snacks.  I'm an avid snacker, mid-morning, mid-afternoon, all evening ... I have a particular weakness for popcorn (although strangely not for microwave popcorn).  I try any and all brands of popcorn I see.

Which brings us to Pop Mix by Marilyn, a artisanal small batch caramel popcorn line.

"Each non-GMO corn kernel is lovingly air popped to perfection by our gourmet artisanal chefs. Cascading rivers of caramel decadence coat the popcorn, ensuring a delicious balanced flavor profile to excite the palate. The caramel corn is then cooled & bagged at exactly the right temperature to capture that perfect crunch. Our mouthwatering experience will leave you craving for more! Handcrafted in small batches, our artisans only use the finest premium ingredients to create this addictive masterpiece."

Although this is caramel corn, it is vegan (and gluten-free, and kosher, if that matters for you), using plant based butter.  All varieties have the same base of brown sugar and corn syrup (along with the aforementioned vegan butter of course).  They currently make three flavors; I tried two of them.

Peanut Butter.

"Decadently doused with real, creamy peanut butter, this caramel-coated popcorn treat will bring back all the nostalgia you love from a certain childhood favorite. "

I started with the peanut butter flavor.  I was sooo excited for this popcorn.  I was on a serious peanut butter kick at the time, and couldn’t wait to try peanut butter popcorn, it sounded perfect to me.  

Like all the Pop Mix flavors, it uses a caramel corn base.  The pieces were all evenly coated, and decent size pieces.

But … alas, I didn’t really taste any peanut butter.  There were many bites where I didn't taste it at all, and mostly I struggled to detect any peanut butter vibes.  The caramel was definitely there, and these were a very candied type of caramel corn, but … peanut butter they were not.  Sadness. 2/5.

Classic Caramel.

"Lightly salted with flakes of real natural sea salt, this caramel-coated popcorn treat will give you that salty-sweet crunch you've been craving." 

Next I tried the classic caramel corn. It is a fairly sweet caramel corn, but relatively well balanced, not just cloying.  All pieces evenly coated.  Definitely something I need to be in the mood for though.  I don't find myself often just reaching for any bag of caramel corn - at least mixed with a salty kettle corn or cheese corn is more my style, or if opting for just a caramel corn, I use it as a topping on an ice cream sundae or something (which is what I ended up doing with this).  

So, good for what it was, but not something I'd naturally go purchase again.  3/5 as it was good for the style.

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Popcornopolis

Update Review, 2024 - 2025 Tastings

Wow, how has it been 8 years since I reviewed Popcornopolis?!  8 years of eating a TON of other popcorn, and likely some of theirs too, but somehow not coming back to review.

Savory

White Cheddar.

"We love cheese. And when we think of snacks, the more the better. Our White Cheddar Popcorn is one of the cheesiest snacks you'll ever sink your teeth into. Handfuls of crispy, crunchy popcorn thickly coated in white cheddar in our signature striped cones. Simple enough for everyday snacking but sophisticated enough to pair with wine, this cheese is sure to please."

While I most frequently opt for sweet popcorn, sometimes I do like to mix it up with something savory.  I'd previously tried the regular (orange) cheddar from Popcornopolis, and liked it, but, did note that it was pretty heavy, and not the kind you could eat a ton of in one sitting without feeling sick.

The white cheddar seemed lighter.  It still had a legit cheesy flavor, a more sophisticated style of cheddar, but, in addition to not leaving me with orange fingers, it didn't leave me quite so weighed down.  Kernels were large and fluffy, well coated.

Overall, a nice white cheddar popcorn.  Not remarkable, but a bit above average.

***+.

Sweet

Kettle Corn.

"Amazing culinary delights sometimes come from the simplest of recipes done just right. Our sweet and salty Kettle Popcorn snacks are the perfect example. The right kernels, popped in perfect proportions of coconut oil, sugar and salt makes all the difference between regular kettle corn and the very best."

It had been several years since I last had Popcornopolis brand kettle corn, and forgot how sweet it is.  This is a very coated kettle corn, almost akin to a light caramel corn, except it does also deliver a delightful salty contrast as well.  Sweet and salty, crispy, good kettle corn.

I like this quite a bit (particularly when frozen of course for extra crunch), but, it is more candied than I normally go for in kettle corn, so I need to be in the mood for a sweeter style to appreciate it.

***+.

Zebra.

""Zebra® PopcornStill our reigning champion, Zebra is love at first bite! A sensuous and divinely compelling experience, with a taste that you'll dream of. Your pulse quickens, your knees go weak. Oh, yes. Zebra is THAT good."

I know I've had the Zebra flavor before, but, the first time I had it I didn't care for it, and the second I quite liked it, so, honestly, I had no idea what to expect this time around.  Which version of past me did I agree with?

It turned out, I liked it, but, only in moderation - yes, popcorn girl is saying that she really, truly only wants this popcorn in moderation!  It is just too much, even for sweet loving me.

The pieces are extremely well coated in caramel, hard sweet caramel.  Every single piece.  There are no lighter ones to dig for.  Just, well, candy popcorn, really.  I can't comment much on the quality of the popcorn, as I couldn't taste it.  Sweet candy, that is all you get.

The pieces were drizzled with both white and black, i.e. "zebra", chocolate, and those did create an adventure - did I want pieces with drizzle or without?  The mix seemed to be about 50-50 with some drizzled and some not.

Overall, a sweet, sweet, sweet item, but, good in moderation.  I do think it would be better lightened up a bit, but, it wasn't trying to be a light popcorn.  Think more like Cracker Jacks I guess?

***.

Zebra (2024).

I accidentally encountered the Zebra again.  I didn't seek it out.  Really. But it came to me.  It just happens.

My feelings are relatively unchanged: this is very decadent popcorn.  Big pieces, well popped, and entirely covered in caramel, and most, pretty well covered in white, dark, or both chocolates. A little goes a long way.  But I did find myself able to eat it in bigger and bigger quantities this time (which, isn't actually a good thing ... the serving size on the bag for this is very small, and, um, it should be, given the nutrition stats!).  Like most popcorn, I preferred it frozen.  Makes a great topping on chocolate mousse or pudding too!

***+.

Unicorn.

"It's the stuff that dreams are made of. This imaginative blend of natural fruit flavors sweet-tart icings with the classic crunch of gourmet popcorn is a real one-of-a-kind. Like it's loveable namesake, this storybook concoction conjures up a treat to charm the child in us all."

"A magical treat beyond compare. Each bite blends the sweetness of dreams, with the fantasy of fruitiness. Made with natural berry and lemon flavors and the outrageous colors to match. Iced with creamy splendor; guaranteed to delight every young princess & aspiring wizard. "

Oh, wow.  That is what I have to say about this.  Wow.

I don't really even know where to start on this one.  Is the unicorn nature totally ridiculous?  Absolutely.  Is it bright and colorful and totally made for kids?   Yup.  And is it even sweeter than all the previous flavors that I dubbed quite sweet?  Indeed.   Did I love it?  Uh, yes, actually. 

This treat is best considered candy, not popcorn.  I mean really, each piece was essentially candied, which meant it was amazingly crispy, and totally makes your teeth hurt sweet.  The ingredient list is entirely scary, starting with cane sugar and corn syrup, but it does have actual dried strawberries in it at least?  The flavors however were actually interesting, and I was impressed with how flavorful they were, with a mix of fruity berry flavors and lightly sour lemon ones (pink and purple or yellow, so easy to tell which was which).  But, yes, candied popcorn.  They were also drizzled in blue colored icing, that made it even sweeter, but made it lightly creamy too.  Really fascinating stuff.

I love sweet things, and I have a habit of binging on popcorn, but I could only handle this by the one or two handful batches, luckily, for my own sake.  That said, I loved those few handfuls.  This popcorn is not for the faint of heart.

I really enjoyed this, in its own special unicorn way.  ****.

==

Original Review, 2018

Popcorn.  Sweet or savory.  I'm obsessed.  The king of snacks.

I adore freezing popcorn to make it crunchier.  Particularly for sweet coated popcorns.  My freezer is always full.  I'm always trying new brands.

Which lead me to Popcornopolis, a huge popcorn distributor, sold basically ... everywhere.   Major grocery stores, Costco, Amazon, even movie theaters and gift baskets galore.  Certainly not a artisan small production fancy popcorn.  But, it is all non-GMO, 0 trans fat, no high fructose corn syrup, gluten-free, etc.  And available in ... all the flavors.  Many quite decadent (seriously, Red Velvet, Peanut Butter Cup ... oh my!).

All flavors have one key characteristic: the kernels are really well coated!

Assorted Flavor Cones.

I finally bought Popcornopolis when I was visiting my family in New Hampshire, and wound up in BJ's Wholesale Club with my mom.  The place was a wonderland to me, and, somehow, a little 4-pack of cones wound up in our cart.

Cupcake.

"It’s party time! Here’s the flavor to kick things off. You’ll be amazed how we’ve captured the experience of enjoying a vanilla cupcake —complete with luxurious white frosting and festive colored sprinkles!"

The first flavor I tried was also the most decadent: cupcake!  I was in the mode for something sweet, and when given the choice of already sweet caramel corn, or caramel corn drizzled with chocolate, or caramel corn drizzled with frosting and sprinkles ... well, that decision was easy.  Go big or go home.

It was good popcorn, but yes, very sweet.  The kernels were all well coated in sweet, buttery caramel.  They were a bit softer than I like, but then again, I like to put my caramel corn in a freezer to make it even crispier, so, I might be a bit odd in this respect.

The "white frosting" was kinda just more sweet drizzled on top of some pieces, and it caused some pieces to stick together a form clumps, kinda like granola.  This was the perfect enabler for my "ooh, I'll have just one more piece" mentality, when "one more piece" might be a giant clump rather than a kernel.  I liked the clumps, not something normally found in popcorn.  The white frosting didn't really taste like frosting, nor like vanilla though, just, like sweet.

The sprinkles were round sugar disks, not classic rainbow sprinkles like you have with ice cream.

Overall, I enjoyed this.  It was sweet, it was popcorn, and, well, those are things I like.  Did it taste like a cupcake?  Not at all.  But, I didn't need it to.  ****.

I also froze some, to fix the softness problem.  It worked great.  I liked it even more when frozen, although the sweetness seemed even more pronounced, if that is possible.  It was hard to get through more than a few pieces at a time, which, I think is a good thing.

Because, this is not a light offering, not an innocent little snack.  The cone wasn't exactly large, easily a single serving (2.5 ounces), and it racked up 340 calories, and 32 grams of sugar.  Ooph.  But if you pretend it is dessert, and not just a snack, it isn't *that* bad ...

Cheddar Cheese.

"Rich, farm-fresh cheddar covers our World’s Best Gourmet Popcorn™ like a golden blanket of deliciousness. Popcornopolis Cheddar Cheese Popcorn is intense, authentic, and habit-forming."

Next, I went savory, for the cheddar cheese.

This was good.  In a gross way.

The popcorn was absolutely coated in very fake cheddar cheese powder.  So fake.  But yet so tasty.

The "cheese" had a flavor that was familiar, but I couldn't pinpoint.  And yes, it left my fingers orange.  But, I liked it, just not in too much quantity, as it quickly made your stomach start to turn ... ****.

Zebra (2018).

"Zebra® PopcornStill our reigning champion, Zebra is love at first bite! A sensuous and divinely compelling experience, with a taste that you'll dream of. Your pulse quickens, your knees go weak. Oh, yes. Zebra is THAT good."

The Zebra sounded great, but, I didn't like it at all.

The base caramel just wasn't a style I like, it was buttery, it seemed like decent caramel, but I didn't like the flavor at all.  It was well coated though.  The zebra drizzle couldn't save it, and perhaps the low quality chocolate added to the flavors that I didn't like?  *+.

Zebra (2019).

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again?

I tried the Zebra again a year later, when a co-worker brought in a big bag full.  And this time ... I really liked it?

The caramel was thick, buttery, sweet, rich, decadent.  The kernels ridiculously well coated in it.  I liked the flavor this time.  The white chocolate drizzle I also really liked, sweet, creamy.  The milk chocolate was minimal, but it was fine.

I'm glad I gave this another try, and gladly devoured a big portion (way too big, really, given the nutrition stats!). ***+.

Caramel Corn.

"Our award-winning recipe remains a closely guarded secret. But we CAN tell you that we use only pure cane sugar and real creamery butter. Even before you take your first bite, the ultra-rich aroma will blow your mind!"

The final selection in my cone quartet was pretty standard caramel corn.  Rich, dark buttery caramel, well coated.  Good enough, but nothing special.  ***+.

Kettle Corn.

"As American as freedom, for more than 200 years, we've enjoyed this sweet and salty Kettle Corn with its unforgettable crunch."

I also tried a regular bag of Popcornopolis, when I found it at a local store a few months later.  I tried a new, but simple flavor: kettle corn.

Well, huh.  I found a kettle corn I like, that *isn't* only sold at a single farmer's market, during the summer only, in New Hampshire.  Ok, sure, I didn't like this nearly as much as my favorite best kettle corn ever, but, I liked it, which is significant, as I usually hate all kettle corn that isn't "my" kettle corn.

It was sweeter than "my" kettle corn, but it did have the salty aspect to counter it.  The pieces were well coated.  It tasted fresh.  The kernels were all large and popped properly.

Very solid kettle corn, and one I'll even consider buying when my freezer supply of my farmer's market kettle corn runs out.  ***+.

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Garrett's Popcorn

Garrett's Popcorn is THE famous popcorn from Chicago.  Whenever I mention my popcorn obsession to others, they always ask, "Oh, have you had Garrett's?"  Given that I have never been to Chicago my answer thus far has been no.

Update Review, 2025 - Las Vegas Location

When I was recently in Las Vegas, I spotted a Garrett popcorn store in the mall I was walking through.  I wasn't actually hungry for a snack, having just finished a meal, and wasn't going back to my hotel anytime soon, so I didn't really want to lug popcorn around with me, but I couldn't resist taking a closer look ...

They actually only had a few flavors: the classic CheeseCorn and CaramelCrisp of course, along with one with nuts, and I think either butter or plain.  Not much jumped out at me, so I nearly walked away, when the staff member asked if I wanted a sample of anything.  I of *course* turned right back around to get one! 

Adorable mini sample bags.

I was absolutely charmed by the sample bags.  Mini, really mini, popcorn bags.  <3!

Spicy CheeseCorn.

"Experience the savory delight of freshly melted sharp-cheddar cheese - with a spicy, chili-lime twist - in this gourmet popcorn from Garrett Popcorn Shops."

I went for the most novel, the limited edition Spicy Cheesecorn, to see how spicy it was.  The answer?  Not very.  I was quite underwhelmed by the spice level.  Great cheesiness, like their regular CheeseCorn, but the heat was quite subtle, and took quite a few pieces to build it.  It was fine, but not as spicy as I was anticipating.  ***.

Original Review, 2016

But, this past year, one of my co-workers went to Chicago and came back with ... yup, a giant tub of Garrett's Popcorn!

Garrett's has been making popcorn since 1949.  The signature creation is Garrett Mix®, their version of Chicago Mix (which used to be marketed as such, until, lawsuit).  In addition to "CheeseCorn" and "CaramelCrisp", the two components of Garrett Mix, they also offer up plain and butter, plus some nutty variations on CaramelCrisp: Macadamia, Pecan, Almond, and Cashew.

My co-worker of course brought the Garrett Mix.  I was glad to try it, but, well, I don't see any reason to hop on a plane to Chicago for it.

Garrett Mix®

"Our handcrafted recipe is often imitated, but never duplicated. First created by our loyal fans, the Garrett Mix® combines the sophisticated sweetness of CaramelCrisp® with the savory goodness of CheeseCorn. The original Chicago style Popcorn, from THE original gourmet Popcorn Shop."

Breaking this down into its mixed components:

CheeseCorn: "Freshly-melted, sharp cheddar cheese is stirred into each and every batch. Fans proudly display their "Cheesy-Fingers!"

Ok, wow, yes, this gave me cheesy fingers.  Each piece was absolutely coated in orange goodness.  It tasted like fake cheddar, but I really liked it.  It required consumption by the handful.  And, yes, of course I liked it better frozen.

CaramelCrisp: "Deep butter notes, sweet brown sugar and a crème brûlée crunch combine for a rich taste sensation."

Caramel corn can go so many ways.  This one was ... mediocre for me.  It was sweet and they get great credit for perfectly coating the kernels, but, the caramel itself was just a bit too deep of a flavor.  I still did enjoy it, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't my favorite.

The interesting thing to me is that I didn't really like these when mixed together.  I love mixing sweet and savory.  I should have loved this mix.  But, I didn't.  I had the same experience last time I had Chicago Mix, from G.H. Cretors.

So, I froze a bunch, gleefully ate all the cheese corn, and eventually ate the caramel.

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Lesser Evil Snack Foods

"Snacks that feel and taste good".

Do I really care if my snacks "feel" good?  Nah.  Am I a healthy snacker?  Ha.  But do I love snack foods?  Oh yes.  And do I jump at the chance to try new products and brands, even if they don't appeal at first glance (hey, this is how we discover some gems!).  Of course.

Lesser Evil makes several product lines, including my #1 snack obsession (popcorn!), along with Paleo Puffs, "Power Curls", Space Balls, "Moonions", and now, cookies.  All are gluten-free, certified organic, plant based, etc.

Most of the offerings I've tried are generally a bit too light for my style, but there are a few items that aren't too bad, and I do continue to try more products regularly.

Organic Popcorn (Previously branded as "Buddha Bowl")

"If you have heard of Buddha bowls you know the ingredients you are meant to put in them are healthy and beautiful. Like in a Buddha Bowl we only wanted to put healthy and beautiful things in our popcorn bags. Our popcorn is special because it's earth friendly (it's organic), so it's free of many of the chemical residues that exist on convention popping corn. Also, we air pop only the most tender kernels so we don't add unwanted fat and calories. We then use either coconut, avocado oil or ghee. The oils are cold pressed without heat or chemicals keeping the essential nutrients intact. We then dust with Himalayan salt which we think is the purest form of salt available. We think you will like the ingredients we use."

The popcorn is available in a slew of varieties, savory and sweet.  Classic Cheddah, Avocado-Licious, Himalayan Gold (e.g. "butter"), Himalayan Pink, Himalayan Sweetness, Jalapeno & Honey, Oh My Ghee!  They also introduced new seasonal flavors like, sigh, Pumpkin Spice.  I've tried many.

"We air-pop the most tender butterfly popcorn, making it lighter, fluffier and lower in fat and calories."

The popcorn all is ... fine.  It is fairly fluffy.

Savory

Oh My Ghee!

"The first organic popcorn made with organic grass-fed ghee. We tumble this popcorn in ghee with an amazingly silky flavor that is much easier on the digestive system than traditional butter."

This was a very simple variety, just plain salted popcorn, but made with ghee instead of traditional oil or butter.

It is ... fine.  

Simple, well popped, slightly salty, popcorn.  It doesn't taste any different than popcorn made with more traditional fats, so if you want simple salted popcorn that is possibly better for you ... try it?  For me it was too plain. **+.

Oh My Ghee! (June 2020).

I didn't seek it out again, but my partner's company sent him monthly snack boxes during the COVID working from home situation, so of course I stole any popcorn that came our (uh, his?) way.

It certainly isn't what I normally go for - very plain, savory, but, nice when I've had too much sweet.  Slightly almost cheesy flavor.  Nicely popped kernels.  Guilt free at 100 calories per bag?

I ate it happily (frozen) one night late at night when I was munchy, and had really overdone it on sweets.  It hit the spot, but again, I don't seek this out on my own. ***.

Classic Cheddah.

"The ultimate cheesy popcorn that will instantly enlighten your taste buds. Lovingly dusted with a specially crafted organic cheddar cheese blend."

This was ... also just fine.  Well popped, good salt level, but the cheesy nature was very muted.  Probably the lowest calorie cheesy popcorn I've had, and, it was clear it was a lighter style.  Not really for me.  **+.

"No Cheese" Cheesiness.

I was really craving cheesy popcorn, and so I tried the cheese-less cheesy flavor from Lesser Evil.  It uses nutritional yeast to create the cheese-adjacent flavor, which was fine, but not great.  However, like most of their popcorn, the coconut oil flavor was really quite strong, and I didn't care for that underlying taste.  Well popped popcorn, but, another that just isn't for me.  **+.

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Himalayan Pink

"Our original flavor is made with just three simple ingredients – organic popcorn, organic extra-virgin coconut oil and Himalayan salt."

Another very simple flavor, more well popped, nicely salted popcorn.  Somehow I liked this more than the others, I think because it wasn't trying to be anymore more than it was.  But still, not an exciting variety, and I don't really like the coconut oil base.  **.

Sweet

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Himalayan Sweetness

"For the sweet tooth in every household!"

Ok, so they tried to do sweet but not crazy decadent.

In this product, the coconut oil base works quite well.  Coconut and sweet are a good combination.  In particular, I liked this one frozen, the coconut oil provides a coating that gets crunchy.

This, frozen, was my favorite of all varieties I tried, no question.  I'd get it again. ***.

Seasonal

The seasonal offerings are definitely far more exciting than the regular products, although, still, healthy style ...

Dark Chocolate & Himalayan Pink Sea Salt.

"Your favorite Himalayan Sweetness flavor is all dressed up for the holidays. This subtly sweet, organic popcorn tumbled in luscious dark chocolate proves that indulgence really can be guilt free."

This is an interesting flavor.  

It is not nearly as decadent as other popcorn I go for that features chocolate - e.g. the kind that is drizzled in generous melted chocolate (like Salted Caramel & Fudge from PopWorks or Dark Fudge Peppermint Drizzlecorn from Popcorn Indiana), and usually is sweet crispy kettle corn under all that.  Or the kinds that are *entirely* coated in chocolate, such as Harry & David's signature Moose Munch (omg, so good, but soooo decadent) or the equally ridiculous Zebra Caramel Corn from Popcornopolis (yes, fully coated rich caramel corn, with both white and dark chocolate coating in addition!).

It is not a decadent style, and I didn't expect it to be.  This brand is about better for you options, and, they call this one "guilt free" and "subtle sweet".  Which it was, more the style like Johnny's Popcorn (chocolate chip) or Skinny Pop (chocolate), a lighter style, cocoa dusting rather than melted chocolate.

This was the best of the lighter styles I've tried though - a more intense chocolate, richer, real cocoa flavor (at least on some pieces), than other brands.  I did find myself hunting for the kernels with more coating though.

It had decent salty component as well, and the kernels were fluffy and well popped.  It was definitely good, not the kind of popcorn that I crave usually, but, for the style, the best I've had.  

Over time, it really grew on me, particularly once I froze it! ****.

White Chocolate & Matcha.

"Behold the un-matcha-ble combination of white chocolate and matcha! Turn any space into a cozy teashop with a bag of this lightly sweet, vegan, seasonal treat."

Another holiday only variety, although I really don't understand why.  There is no reason not to enjoy matcha and white chocolate in the summer!

I have long been a fan of matcha white chocolate popcorn, although usually go for, as you likely suspect, a much more decadent version.  One covered in tons of white chocolate and matcha.  This was, like all Lesser Evil popcorn, very, very lightly dusted, just a little sugar, salt, matcha powder, and ... "organic flavor".  No actual white chocolate.

But it was good, again, for a lighter style.  You just have to be ready for the lighter style.  Sorta sweet, sorta matcha flavored.  Again not what I generally go for, but I liked it enough.  I wouldn't get again though.

***.

White Chocolate & Matcha (Seasonal).

"We're spilling the TEA on what makes our snacks so awesome - clean ingredients! Our limited edition White Chocolate and Matcha popcorn will satisfy your sweet tooth this holiday season! Creamy white chocolate and herbacious matcha create a melt-in-your mouth flavor combination that is simply zen-sational."

I forgot that I had tried this last winter holiday season (when Lesser Evil has dubbed matcha & white chocolate appropriate).  I didn't dislike it then, but, I probably would not have gotten it again if I had re-read my review first.

The base popcorn itself was fine.  Big puffy kernels.  Well popped.  Unlike most of their flavors, I don't taste the slightly odd coconut oil much here.  But ... it really is a quite light popcorn.  Very very very mild chocolate flavor, and really barely any matcha.  I easily could have believed it wasn't matcha flavored at all.  As you can see, it isn't even green colored to give it away.  It was lightly sweet, and good for a healthy popcorn, but certainly no decent white chocolate drizzlecorn like most other brands.  Fine for what it was, ***, but I generally want something more decadent, sweeter, and, well, that tastes like matcha if I buy something matcha.

Pumpkin Spice (Seasonal).

"Tis’ the season(ing)! Our Pumpkin Spice Popcorn is a superb autumnal treat. Our signature blend of coconut oil and Himalayan Pink Salt gets cozy with Organic Pumpkin Spice seasoning. It’s a sweet, spicy, salty snack you’re sure to Fall in love with."

This is the tale of two popcorns.  First, we have the popcorn that made up the majority, probably 75%, of the bag.  This was lightly pumpkin spice seasoned plain popcorn.  A little sugar, salt, cinnamon, and a touch of something else, but nothing aggressive.  Fairly plain popcorn, really, with a hint of fall if you really searched for it.  

And then, the bright orange glazed popcorn, <25% of the bag.  These were a light caramel corn, that just happened to be oddly orange, and seem to have been kissed by a touch of pumpkin spice.  Blindfolded, you'd likely think it was just light caramel corn, maybe cinnamon caramel corn.

Put them together, and basically a very, very mild pumpkin spice lightly sweet experience.  Rather boring really (not that I wanted a punch in the face of nutmeg!).  I ended up breaking this bag down entirely, eating all the orange glazed popcorn first, which of course made putting the bag down impossible, as I got rather obsessed with finding all the pieces.  Eating just those pieces, in quantity, made for a sweet treat, which became cloying by the end, but, they were my favorite.  No better nor worse though than average light caramel corn.  ***.

Then, the plain lightly spiced ones, even more boring.  **+.

Overall, fine, but, not remarkable, and if you are looking for strong pumpkin spice vibes, they aren't here.  ***.

Pumpkin Spice.

I had this the first time a few years ago, and thought it was decent, but I didn't remember my specific thoughts when I had it again this pumpkin spice season.  I was glad to try it with a fresh perspective.

I basically liked it. There were 3 different types of pieces: plain, spiced, and orange glazed.  They seemed to be in about equal distribution.  All the popcorn was well popped, fluffy.

The orange glazed pieces were definitely the sweetest, and although they were my favorites (I think), I quickly realized that I didn't want to just pluck all of those out, as it got a bit cloying fast.  Definitely sweeter than most kettle corn, less candied than caramel corn, more akin to the glaze on a candied apple, if that makes sense.  ***+.

Then there were the "spiced" pieces, basically, the ones that had lots of brown spices on them.  I didn't taste too much nutmeg (possibly not even any?), which delighted me, as I don't care for aggressive nutmeg.  They were definitely spiced though, nice warming spices, and it somewhat reminded me of gingerbread.  Once I got over loving the sweet glazed pieces, I liked these the most.  ***+.

And finally, the more plain pieces, that still did have flavor, lightly salty, and mostly you could taste the signature coconut oil in these pieces, which is the aspect of Lesser Evil that I don't generally care for.  This flavor was entirely masked in the other pieces, and only came out in these. **+, just because I don't like that coconut taste.

Add it all up, and it is quite balanced, and enjoyable.  Not too aggressive in the pumpkin spicing, but definitely spiced.  I'll get it again next "holiday" season.  ***+.

Grain Free Paleo Puffs

"Our organic puffed snacks are packed with nutrient-dense cassava, coconut, and sweet potato flours. We stand for the little things both in our products and in this life and it's the simple acts that make this world great."

The puffs are available in three varieties: Himalayan Salt, Apple Cider Vinegar, and  “No Cheese” Cheesiness.  I tried the later.  They ... weren't bad, actually.

 “No Cheese” Cheesiness.

Ok, these *really* surprised me.

The puffs are made of cassava flour, tapioca starch, coconut flour, and more, a fairly strange texture, but not entirely unpleasant, and they were light and airy.  Not a bad base, really.  The "cheese" came from a combination of garlic, onion, and sweet potato powder, plus ground mustard (?!), and nutritional yeast.  It was a kinda cheesy, kinda zesty mix, and, well, I was fascinated with it.  It paired well with the base puff.

Overall, I don't want to run out and purchase bags of these, but, I did actually find myself enjoying the ones I had.  Well, huh.

***+.

Fiery Hot!

"When you're craving something smoky and spicy, our Fiery Hot Paleo Puffs, pack all of the flaming hot flavor you love without all the bad stuff."

It had been several years since I had Paleo Puffs, and somewhat forgot that I had tried them before (in another flavor).  I was drawn in again by the form factor, and the promise of heat.

I tried a few, and was somewhat put off.  But I was also a bit fascinated, and had a few more.  Which quickly turned into nearly half the bag.  Gulp.  At least these are, after all, "Lesser Evil", even if I quickly went way past a normal serving size.

The puff is super crunchy, yet a bit airy, which I find really compelling.  It is that great crunch that keeps me going.  They look ugly, but, hey, something about it really works.  Great form factor and eating experience: ****.

The base flavor is where they start to seem a bit odd.  The combo of cassava flour, sweet potato flour, tapioca starch, and coconut flavor leans in the direction of tasting too "healthy"ish, or hearty perhaps.  And then the coating?  That's where things get confusing.  I don't care for the nutritional yeast very much.  But onion, garlic, salt, vinegar, and habanero?  Sure.  Very savory, and some slight heat.  I actually wanted, and expected more heat from the habanero, but, there was some.  So flavor wise, I couldn't tell if I liked them, tolerated them, or disliked.  I think probably somewhere in the "tolerate" spectrum, with an appreciation for the slight heat.  **+ flavor.

I easily finished my bag, but there were enough little misses here that I wouldn't purchase again.  Low *** overall.

Space Balls

Space Balls are puffs, but in round ball form.  They come in 3 flavors all with cosmic names: "outer planet pizza", "ranch ship ranch", and "interstellar cheddar".

Interstellar Cheddar.

"Want legendary cheesy flavor without the guilt—and the side effects? These are the healthy snack puffs for you. This organic, vegan snack is made with seasoning that brings the cheesy flavor to your new favorite functional snack, without any of the other questionable ingredients."

I was going through a cheesy snack phase, so the Interstellar Cheddar flavor jumped out at me.  That said, these are vegan, so I knew the cheddar flavor was going to be limited to some nutritional yeast and spices approximation of cheddar flavor.

The space balls were reasonably enjoyable.  Good crunch level, puffy form factor, very snackable.  They had a mild cheesy flavor, that did taste sorta healthy and a bit bitter on the finish.  Not bad, but not great.  

Overall, "fine", but not something I'd seek out again.  ***. 

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Popped Corn

Yes, I have a snacking problem.  Yes, popcorn is my ultimate vice.  No, I don't mean microwave popcorn (I basically hate it), or for the most part, movie theater popcorn (e.g. AMC Theaters, its just too fake tasting, and makes me feel awful afterward).  The popcorn I love is fresh kettle corn, the kind you get at the farmer's market or state fair (my favorite is from a tiny vendor in New Hampshire, Howl'n Good), or "gourmet" artisan small batch fresh popcorn merchants that make it in a variety of flavors.  In a real pinch, I'll try assorted grocery store brands (and if I have to go that route, Angie's Boomchickapop is my current acceptable solution).

My never ending quest for awesome popcorn in fun flavors lead me to Popped Corn, a brand based in Minnesota. 

"Here at PoppedCorn, we are passionate about bringing you high quality, locally made popcorn and fudge. We pride ourselves in having many unique and delicious flavors that are great for any occasion. Whether you are coming in for a snack or a gift, we want to make sure we put a smile on your face."

I haven't visited in person, but I was able to order online.  I focused on popcorn, both sweet and savory, although they have fudge too.  For just the popcorn, they have, I kid you not, 67 different flavors (!!!).  All flavors are available in 7 different sizes, ranging from mini (3 cups) up to party size (320 cups!).

I wasn't particularly impressed by the website, as it lacked most information I wanted.  Only a handful even had descriptions, even when flavors aren't entirely obvious, e.g. "Southwest Jalapeño" ... what's in that? Or what about "mac & cheese" ... how does that compare to the other cheese flavors?  There are no ingredients listed on the website for anything.  No nutritional info nor allergens either.  I still don't know, as the bags themselves didn't have any further info.

I had mixed feelings on my popcorn bounty.  The base popcorn itself was good: it was quite fresh, large size fluffy pieces, all well popped (no duds!), very well coated and seasoned.  I tried both sweet and savory offerings.  But most of the flavors I found to just be ... too much.  I'm all for strong flavors, I'm all for really well coated pieces, but most of these were hard to eat more than a few handfuls (of a single flavor) at a time.  As I'm someone who likes to eat popcorn in quantity, this cramped my style.  My solution of course was to mix and match flavors together, to balance each other out, but it did detract from my base enjoyment of this popcorn.

Savory

Since they make sooo many flavors, both sweet and savory, I won't enumerate your options here, but, they range from all your basics like salt, butter (two kinds, "Buttery" or "Movie Theatre Butter" ... no idea the difference, as again, no details provided), different types of cheese (orange cheddar, white cheddar, fiery cheddar, mac and cheese, etc), potato chip inspired flavors (salt & vinegar, bbq, sour cream & chive, etc) and then then fun ones like dill pickle (or hot pickle), pizza, and more.  There are also some blends.

I tried 10 (!) different savory flavors.  Most were good but not exceptional.  My biggest complaint is that a number of the flavors just didn't deliver the expected flavor, e.g. "spicy + hot" or "fiery" flavors were more like ... mild heat on the finish, and only if you ate a ton of it.  I wanted MORE flavor.  But the pieces were all well popped, well coated in seasoning, and the popcorn seemed quite fresh.

Also, just to note: after an initial taste test of all the flavors, I packaged up and vacuum sealed each of the bags (individually), and somehow my labels fell off, so I had no idea which was which.  As I opened each bag, it was an adventure of guessing which I had, based only on the taste and color.  I decided to make it extra fun by not looking up the list of flavors I had decided to order, to really see how well my blind taste testing would work, and only looked up the list afterwards as I tried to match them for this review.

Parmesan + Garlic.

This was the lightest of the flavors I tried.

It was still quite cheesy, but more on the normal realm of very cheesy popcorn, not as over the top nearly unbearable as the orange cheese flavors (read more below!).  My brain tasted what seemed more like white cheddar than the sharpness I associate with parmesan, but I can believe it was indeed parmesan.  The cheese level was good, very easily addicting. 

The garlic however was nearly absent. I maaaaybe could get a tiny bit on the finish if I tried really hard, but this really was just a cheese flavor with a touch more savoriness to it.  Which was fine, but if you are expecting some lovely garlic breath after it, you won't find it here.

This was most successful of the cheesy flavors in terms of actual enjoyment, and ability to down a whole bag in one sitting.  I'd get it again, even though it lacked the garlic. ****.

Southwest Jalapeño.

Now time for some spice.

I really wish they gave the ingredients, or at least a description for this one.  It was ... different, and I still can't pinpoint the flavors.  What is "Southwest" flavor anyway?

I don't think I really liked it though.  The jalapeño did give it a real kick, but there were a lot of other flavors going on.  Savory, zesty, but somewhat muddled?  Vaguely cheesy, but not actually cheesy.  Maybe like sour cream?  The pieces were extremely well coated in the seasoning, and it just was kinda too much.

I ended up mixing this with 1/3 plain sea salt popcorn + 1/3 caramel corn, and together with those elements to mute it (the former) and compliment it (the later) it worked, but as served, this was really **+ for me, and not a flavor I'd get again.

Hot Pickle.

My first of the many orange dusted flavors.  This is where things started to get a bit complicated.  I thought, from looks, that this would be a cheesy flavor, or perhaps bbq.  But the very first bite and I knew it was far, far more complex than that.  It was certainly a savory flavor, that veered in the direction of cheesy, but more like sour cream, or just some kind of creamy dairy component.  It also had a mild heat, not a jalapeño style with kick, but more subtle, that built with time.  And a bit of herbs on the finish, which were amplified by my visual inspection that had little flecks on the pieces.  

"Buffalo wings", was pretty much what came to mind, dipped in ranch or blue cheese.  But ... not quite.  It was a confusing flavor.  I believe that it was actually the hot pickle, although I didn't taste pickle exactly.  I'm not quite sure what expected hot pickle to taste like anwayy.

The pieces were well coated in the seasoning, and it really was quite rich.  I found myself wanting a sweet or plain component to balance it, like a Chicago mix with caramel corn balancing the cheese, or perhaps a kettle corn.  Overall, it was definitely a fascinating, and complex flavor, but I probably wouldn't get it again.  ***.

Southwest Hot Wing?

Next up, another orange one with little flecks of green, and another that looked like it would be cheesy, but I think wasn't.  I don't know which flavor it was, but I *think* it was the Southwest Hot Wing as it was dark orange, very well coated in powdered orange seasoning, with some little green flecks.  It had no real spice to it, but the green flecks were there. 

Was it the "Spicy + Hot Cheese" just not actually spicy? The "Fiery Cheddar" but not actually fiery?  But neither of those had the herb specs in my photos I took before diving in, so it couldn't be those.  It looked the most like the Southwest Hot Wing but ... I guess it just wasn't really hot?  I don't know.  It had to be one of those, and the only real flavor I could identify was cheesy.  Which makes me think it was likely fiery cheddar, just lacking fire?  Although again, it had herb flecks, and that one doesn't.

Regardless, it was good savory popcorn, cheese (?) level high, base popcorn quality high, and I enjoyed it (although like all the orange flavors, I wanted to cut with either plain or caramel corn ...).  ***+.

Sour Cream & Chives.

Next up, Sour Cream & Chives.

This one, much like the previous, had lots of little flecks of herbs.  It tasted herby, although not strong in the onion/chive flavor exactly.  This one, again, much like the previous, had a sorta creamy dairy component to it, which I had called "more like sour cream" with the previous flavor, and in this case, was definitely sour cream.  And again, like the previous, the pieces were extremely coated in the seasonings, and as a result, were really quite rich.  I just couldn't eat more than a couple small handfuls at a time ... or mix it with a sweet flavor, which I did of course.  

This flavor was pretty true to what they were aiming for, although the chive wasn't super strong, sour cream & herb definitely was.  A decent flavor, but, as with the others, suffered from being too much.  Low ***, and another I wouldn't get again.

Barbecue.

Next, another potato chip style flavor: barbecue.  Easier to identify as it was more red in hue.  And once I took a single bite, it was quite clear.  Yes, yes, this was barbecue.  All the essences of barbecue, very well captured in this.

When it comes to potato chips, barbecue are generally my goto, so this was a flavor I was really quite excited for, and I'll admit, a first for me in popcorn form.  I loved it.  It had a great smokiness to it, mesquite style.  Lots of savory barbecue spices.  Well coated pieces.  Like all the flavors, it was kinda a lot in quantity, and I liked to mix it with plain if eating a lot of it at a time, but this was no question my favorite.  Loved the flavor, the smokiness in particular.  Very true to the flavor I'd expect from it.  I'll gladly get it again. ****.

Mac N' Cheese.

Now for the real cheese flavors.  All the orange ones with no flecks.  At least this one I did have properly labelled.

Well, this was a cheesy flavor.  No doubt.  Like all the other flavors, very very covered in the coating.  But if you gave it to me and asked, "what flavor is this?", would I say, "Oh! I know this!  It is mac and cheese!"?  Yeah, no, no I would not.  It was cheesy, and it wasn't quite one clear type of cheese, e.g. I wouldn't confidently tell you it was cheddar or gouda or anything like that either, but I'm not sure what was supposed to be "mac and cheese" exactly about it.  If anything, maybe it did taste a bit like Velveeta?  Which I guess is a vague Kraft brand processed cheese flavor, so, sure, that is what some majority of Americans identify as mac and cheese I guess.

Anyway, I digress.  Flavor name aside, it was good.  Cheesy, so very cheesy.  Like the others, just a bit too much, it hurt my stomach to eat a giant bag full in one sitting, so alas, I either had to mix with another flavor (plain or caramel ...) or just eat more normal human portions.  Perhaps this brand is trying to teach me a lesson?

***+ as it did really deliver in cheesiness.

Spicy + Hot Cheese.

Fiery Cheddar.

Here is where things got the most confusing.  I had two remaining flavors.  "Spicy + Hot Cheese" and "Fiery Cheddar".  They looked identical.  Dark orange, no flecks.  But also, the flavor names pretty much sound the same.  Was "fiery" supposed to be hotter than "spicy + hot" perhaps?  Does "cheese" have a combo of cheeses, not just cheddar?  I don't know.  As no flavors have descriptions on the website, nor ingredients listed, I had nothing to go on.

So how were they?  Both were, well, cheesy popcorn.  Well coated, cheesy, yadda yadda.  Not as Velveeta-like as the previous, more muted neutral cheese.  Good cheese level.  Mild, mild, mild spicy though.  Certainly not "spicy + hot", but even more certainly not "fiery".  Fine, but like the others, extremely rich and well coated, cheesy popcorn that I wanted to mix with another flavor.  ***.

My notes for both bags were identical really.  I never could tell them apart, in looks, in taste, and frankly, even in product name.  Slightly cheese-y, lightly sorta spicy, flavor.  Neither was more spicy than the other.  Neither was more clearly cheddar than the other.  Spicy + Hot Cheese or Fiery Cheddar, take your pick.

Sweet

The sweet flavor lineup is actually even more extensive than the savory.  Here again you have the basics like kettle or caramel (or sea salt caramel or caramel with nuts or toffee almond), and then a slew of fruity flavors (blackberry, blueberry, black cherry, cherry, craisin cranberry, grape, green apple, orange, raspberry, strawberry), chocolatey flavors (regular chocolate, peanut butter chocolate, s'mores, dark chocolate, dark chocolate sea salt, butterfinger chocolate, tuxedo chocolate), and plenty of other, well, just sweet decadent things like white chocolate (plain, or with Oreo, or with pretzel), birthday cake, cotton candy, cheesecake, cinnamon roll, cinnamon toast, or even a "confetti" mix of 18 flavors.

I tried 7 kinds.

Red Hot Cinnamon.

For some reason, when I ordered this, I was thinking cinnamon as in cinnamon rolls, cinnamon and icing and all that, even though it was called "red hot cinnamon".  I had just finished off my final bag of the limited edition Cinnamon Roll Drizzlecorn from Annie's Boomchickapop (that I adore), and I wanted more of that.

It was not that.  It was, well, *red hot* cinnamon.  As in, one bite, and all my brain could think was, "well, I know this.  It is red hots!".  The sweet-spicy cinnamon candies.  A very, very different taste than cinnamon roll and icing.  The flavor was spot on in that regard, and it was a candied style corn.  But so sweet, it was the style that made you very aware of how much sugar was used, and your teeth sorta screamed at you.

I appreciated how red hot candy flavored it was, truly true to the name, but it was just not a flavor I found myself gravitating towards as it was too candied.  **.

Cinnamon Toast.

"A customer favorite, Cinnamon Toast is made with Cinnamon and sugar over buttery popcorn. Delicious and crunchy."

I did have another, totally different, cinnamon flavor in my lineup too.  Cinnamon Toast.  Now, that isn't the same as cinnamon roll drizzle corn either, but I had more hope for this to be what I was craving.  

This one I really, really did not like.  For context, I don't actually like Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, but I do like, well, cinnamon, sugar, butter on toast.  This didn't taste like any of those things.  I didn't taste buttery popcorn as the base, just kinda plain.  I didn't really taste cinnamon that strongly, although it was there.  It was sweet-ish but not cloying, not anything like the candied nature of the red hot cinnamon (or others, below), just vaguely a bit sweet.  The cinnamon and sugar were really masked by this really off-putting taste that got even strong as an aftertaste.  I don't know what it was, but I really didn't like it.  It kinda tasted like bad coconut oil.

I tried this a few times, and just truly hated it every time.  I couldn't bring myself to finish it.  *.

Blueberry.

Next up, the brilliant blue blueberry flavor.

This was ... candy corn.  Well, candy popcorn.  Think of the shell of a candied apple (not a caramel apple, a candy apple), and that is what you had covering the pieces of popcorn.  It was very vaguely blueberry flavored I guess, but mostly, just candy flavored.  It tasted much like cotton candy, in that yes, there are different flavors of cotton candy, but mostly, there is sugar.  So.  Much.  Sugar.  And every piece was extremely well coated, so there was just no break from it.  It literally made my teeth stick together to take a big handful.

I liked it, but it was just too much candy.  I needed to make my own mix with some of this and some plain or other savory just to balance it out.  And really, the blueberry flavor was sooo muted.  Fun to try, and of course I finished it, but I wouldn't get this again.  **+.

Birthday Cake.

"Vanilla candy-coated popcorn, covered in White Chocolate and Cake Mix with Sprinkles!"

I thought that I would love this.  I adore white chocolate.  I put sprinkles on everything.  And I do love decadent popcorn.

But ... wow, this made me sad.  It literally hurt my teeth to take a bite.  It was just so far over the top in sweetness that it physically hurt.  I eat a *ton* of sweets, I have a very high tolerance (and love of!) sweet, but this was just ... too much.

It seemed to be a candied base, then covered in white chocolate and cake mix, so it was just sweet on sweet on sweet.  I didn't even taste white chocolate actually, or even cake mix really, just, cloying sweet that was extremely off putting.  The pieces also had a strange texture, sorta soft inside, mushy almost, but more firm outside.

I tried crumbling it up to use as an ice cream topping, but even then, it was just not a taste I enjoyed. *.

Raspberry Lemon Cake.

"Delicious Raspberry Candy-coated popcorn, covered in White Chocolate and drizzled with Lemon-flavored White Chocolate. Sprinkled with wedding cake mix. Perfect for a wedding, party or great snack."

When I ordered, I was drawn to this flavor, but after having the previous flavor, I was far less interested in trying this.  Another one with white chocolate and cake mix that was going to be too much?

This one turned out to be a delight compared to the previous.  The raspberry flavor was reasonably strong, the lemon subtle but added a dimension to it, and it did taste like white chocolate too.  Just a very complex flavor, and although it was sweet, definitely sweet, it just felt like a nice dessert item, rather than cloying as others were.  Definitely not a snack flavor, but, a good element to put on my nightly dessert platter.

Best of the sweet popcorn flavors, no question.  ***+.

Peanut Butter Chocolate.

My final popcorn selection was perhaps one I was most looking forward to.  But ... another one where I wish they gave description!  Because I adore peanut butter and chocolate, both together and separately, but if I had read a description of this, I likely would not have purchased.

Why?  Because it seemed to use caramel corn as the base.  So the pieces were actually covered in fairly thick, sweet caramel corn, and THEN the peanut butter confection and drizzle of chocolate.  The result was a popcorn with only a muted peanut butter flavor, as the caramel corn dominated.  Yes, sweeter than I'd like too, but really, I wanted to taste more peanut butter, and less caramel corn.  I also would have loved for a pop of salt to really accent the peanut butter.  Overall, just sadness, as it was an ok flavor, but should have been so much better. 

**+ because it was still peanut butter and chocolate after all, but a flavor like this, with salted popcorn base instead of caramel corn, would have been a 4 star or more!

Update Review: after having this several more times, I realized what it reminds me of.  Snickers.  A Snickers is a fine candy bar.  A popular one even.  But when I want peanut butter and chocolate, a Snickers is not the candy bar I reach for.  Yes, it has chocolate and peanuts, but, the caramel and nougat are the dominant elements of Snickers, as the same was true here.  Peanuts and chocolate take the backstage to the caramel.  And that's just a shame.

Other

Popped Corn, despite the name, also makes a few other items, mostly fudge and candied nuts.  

Puppy Chow.

"Delicious combination of peanut butter, Chocolate and Powdered Sugar over Caramel Corn and Chex cereal!"

My last item wasn't popcorn exactly, but, puppy chow.  As much as I love popcorn, obviously, my snack of choice 99% of the time, I ADORE puppy chow (or muddy buddies, or whatever other name you know it by).  Now, puppy chow doesn't normally have popcorn, but my mother has certain made versions for me that include it (given her knowledge of my love of popcorn!), so I was pretty excited to try another version of puppy chow with popcorn, the first I'd ever seen in the wild.  However, when I ordered this, I glossed over the fact that it was not just popcorn, but *caramel corn*,  and I hadn't yet tried the previous items to know that I didn't actually care for their overly candied style of popcorn.

This broke my heart.  Ok, let me be less dramatic: this was the most disappointing item I got from Popped Corn, and definitely the most disappointing Chex mix of any kind that I've had.  Such sadness.

Where to start.  Let's start with the extremely low volume of Chex.  Now, obviously puppy chow normally is made of a dominant Chex base, and this is a popcorn company so this was made with a dominant popcorn base, but there was very, very, very little Chex.  Perhaps 5 pieces in my entire bag.  There were no other mix-ins, no pretzels, nothing.  Just mostly popcorn.  Boo on the low amount of Chex.  (The Chex that was there was fine, well coated, although sooo sweet from the abundant powdered sugar).

Now let's get to the popcorn base.  Sigh.  I truly, truly do not understand why they would use caramel corn for the base of this.  There version is just too candied, too sweet on its own, and it entirely dominated the other coatings, just as I felt with the chocolate peanut butter flavor above.  Puppy chow is supposed to be all about the great peanut butter flavor, with a slight undertone of chocolate, and I literally tasted zero chocolate in this (and didn't see it either) and barely, barely tasted peanut butter.  I only tasted the trace amounts of peanut butter on the Chex pieces, the popcorn pieces were just cloying sweet caramel corn that was too sticky and made my teeth hurt, covered in waaaay too much powdered sugar.  Again, I like sweet things, powdered sugar is always an essential part of the puppy chow coating, but this was just over the top clumped on.  Such a thick layer of powdered sugar.  All you could taste here was sugar.

So putting it all together.  Heart broken because it contained so few Chex.  Heart broken because it didn't taste like peanut butter.  But even once I adjusted to those things, and thought of this is powdered sugar coated caramel corn (!), it just genuinely was not enjoyable - the caramel corn hurts the teeth to eat with its extreme candy layer, and the sweetness level was over the top to the point that it literally made me heart race within a few minutes of eating a bunch of it.  Biggest disappointment, and not an item I'd ever get again. *.

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