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This is the real secret to making movie theater popcorn at home
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There’s just something about movie theater popcorn that makes it taste amazing. It’s salty, it’s buttery — it’s a real treat. However, no matter how many times you’ve tried adding butter and salt to your popcorn at home, it never tastes the same. Even the bagged “movie theater butter” microwave popcorn can’t get it right. So, what’s the secret? The flavor all comes down to one ingredient: Flavacol.
You’ve likely never heard of Flavacol because, really, only movie theaters use it. Essentially, it’s butter-flavored salt. It’s a really fine, bright orange powder that adds that buttery flavor you crave and the signature yellow color. If the yellow dyes don’t freak you out, it’s downright delicious.
The trick is to combine your Flavacol seasoning with an oil — coconut oil, vegetable oil or even olive oil — while popping your corn. The oil prevents the powder from burning and distributes it a bit, so you coat all of the kernels with the buttery, salty flavor.
So, where do you get Flavacol? Amazon carries a 35-ounce carton of it for less than $10. However, after a few taste tests, I suggest getting the Flavacol seasoning and butter-flavored popcorn topping combo for $18.95. If you ask for extra butter on your popcorn at the movie theater, this butter-flavored topping (aka butter-flavored soybean oil) is for you.
Also, keep in mind that a little Flavacol goes a long way. You can always add more if you think you need it.
My personal trick is to mix two tablespoons of whatever oil I have with one teaspoon of Flavacol in a pot over medium heat on the stove. When the oil is hot, I add just a couple of kernels to the pot and put on the lid. Once they’ve popped, I add two tablespoons of more popcorn and put the lid loosely back on.
After all the kernels are done popping, I pour the popcorn into a bowl. Then, I add the butter-flavored topping. If you really like salt, you could taste test it and add a little more Flavacol if you think it needs it.
