On an almost weekly basis, I get a craving to get the whole movie-theater experience. The plushy seats, surround sound, towering screen and, of course, a big bag of buttery popcorn. But admittedly, the real reason is that I love popcorn, and those microwavable bags never quite taste the same.

But since movie-theater prices are astronomically high and it’s not socially acceptable to go to the movies to only buy popcorn, I was excited that there’s now a gourmet popcorn shop right in Marshall Square Mall: The Kandied Kernel.

The shop not only had the classic movie-theater popcorn, but also a wide variety of flavors that are constantly changing as they continue to invent new concoctions. The Kandied Kernel is completely dedicated to unusual flavor combinations that are sweet, salty and sometimes both in one bag.

The first flavor I was drawn to was obviously my favorite: the classic yellow, salt and butter popcorn. But looking around at flavors like Skittles and Jalapeno Cheddar, I knew I had to expand my popcorn perspective. I took advantage of the four-for-$10 deal plus one more that I couldn’t resist as I was checking out.

I headed home to indulge in my popcorn purchases, but didn’t get around to tasting them until the next day. I was impressed with how fresh each flavor was, and each piece had a distinct crunch. The Kandied Kernel’s resealable bags are packaged to keep air from getting in so that the popcorn’s crisp, just-popped taste lasts for weeks.

My first choice was the Skittles flavor, a mix of glossy popcorn pieces each individually glazed with a colorful fruit flavor. I was sad to see the “Sold Out” sign above the display, but felt better when the woman working the counter told me many people find it overwhelmingly sweet.

I usually prefer savory flavors, but knew I should get a good mix of their sweet selection as well, and the Kuse Mix was ideal. The mix of caramel and cheddar is Kandied Kernel’s most popular flavor at both its Armory Square and university-area locations.

The caramel-coated kernels in the Kuse Mix had a slightly salty bite that finished sweet, while the cheesy bits, which were slightly smaller in comparison to the caramel pieces, still got your attention with a sharp-cheddar tang.

My roommate had been to the shop before and fell in love with its Koko and Vanilla mix. Even though the bag I brought home was all Koko, she dug right in. The chocolate glaze was generously coated over each piece and mixed with the natural corn flavor of the kernels, and the Koko was well balanced.

I was excited for the Koffee flavor because I’m not normally the biggest fan of coffee, and saw a lot of potential to like the popcorn version. After taking a whiff, the popcorn overpowered the normally distinct scent of roasted coffee beans. This was deceiving because the flavor was all coffee. At first I enjoyed the coffee-coated kernels that seemed to have an extra crunch, but by the end of each bite, the bitter, almost acidic flavor of burnt coffee was overpowering.

After yet another disappointing dealing with something coffee-flavored, I turned to a flavor combo I knew my taste buds could rely on: the Jalapeno Cheddar. Like the cheddar popcorn for the Kuse Mix, it was obvious that the cheese used was good quality, sharp cheddar. What impressed me most was that the jalapeno flavor, not just the heat, could be subtly tasted underneath the strong cheddar flavor, whereas the spice only came briefly at the end, adding a subdued heat.

The Kandied Kernel offers flavors that every type of taste bud can enjoy. The simple but generous bags are great gift ideas, or just snacks to enjoy when you can’t make it to the movies.

Published on October 3, 2012 at 12:26 am

Contact Danielle: dmodiama@syr.edu | @daniemarieodie