Trader Joe’s snack section is pretty much unbeatable. The fact that within that snack section there’s an entire bagged popcorn section just proves my point. And the fact that most of those popcorns are pretty darn good proves it even further. Their Herbs & Spices Popcorn made it on our best bagged popcorn ranking. Their new Chocolatey Drizzled Strawberry Kettle Popcorn absolutely wowed one of our writers. So, I had high hopes for Trader Joe’s new savory Piquant Popcorn—and not just because I’m a sucker for alliteration. Were we pleasantly pleased or profoundly perturbed by this Piquant Popcorn? Read on to find out.
Is this popcorn going to change your life? No. Is it a totally new flavor experience? No. But is it good? Yes.
Pros: If you like nutritional yeast on your popcorn, then you will love this. Not only because it has plenty of nutritional yeast in the flavoring mix, but because the mix actually sticks to the kernels. If you’ve ever topped homemade popcorn with nutritional yeast at home, you know how that goes. You end up eating almost flavorless popcorn and you’re left with a bowlful of nutritional yeast flakes at the bottom, which, if you’re like me, you scoop up and eat like a monster. The popcorn itself is crunchy and fresh. And it’s satisfying for how low cal and low fat it is (140 calories and 7g of fat in 2.5 cups). I could easily eat a whole bag of this stuff.
Cons: You really only taste the nutritional yeast. I didn’t detect any onion or garlic, and there wasn’t that much salt, either. And, as I said, this isn’t some boundary breaking snack. It’s just good popcorn.
I can’t say you should run out and buy it immediately, but if you’re perusing the popcorn possibilities, Piquant Popcorn will treat you right.
Hi! I’m the editor-in-chief of Sporked. I will never turn down a fresh-shucked oyster but I’ll also leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and I love a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients.
Why you should trust me: I have been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and am an avid at-home cook and snacker. I began my career writing about fine dining and recipes, moved into cocktails and spirits, and now I talk about groceries. If you can eat it or drink it, I’ve probably written about it.
What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s dried okra. Appleton Farms prosciutto from Aldi. Some sort of Trader Joe’s cheese (I’m into the aged gouda at the moment). Frozen waffles (usually the Eggo Cinnamon Toast Minis). Spindrift water (loving the Cosmopolitan right now).
Favorite ranking: Smoked salmon. Imagine me as Scrooge McDuck but instead of coins I’m diving into a vault of slippery smoked salmon slices. Pure joy. I also found some real steals in that taste test!
Least favorite ranking: Canned oysters. I had such high hopes for this but it quickly became a chore. The kitchen smelled like an uncleaned aquarium.
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!
Justine Sterling
Vinz Karl
Matt Crowley
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!