The Midwestern Gentleman surprised me with a gift of three different flavors of Quinn Popcorn over the holidays.  He knows I love popcorn, but I’ll confess I’m also a bit of a popcorn snob. At home, I always cook popcorn the “old-fashioned” way, in a heavy pot on the stove, and my kernels of choice come from Crown Jewel. However, I sometimes really miss the convenience of microwave popcorn, especially on days when I’m craving a crunchy, salty, healthy snack at work.  Since corn is a heavily GMO product in the U.S., I have to be picky about my popcorn sources.  Also, the hydrogenated oils and nasty chemical preservatives in microwave popcorn make this one crunchy, salty snack that’s strictly off-limits for me.  Until now!

Quinn Popcorn is gluten free, non-GMO, chemical-free, and contains no hydrogenated oils or preservatives. The popcorn alone is absolutely delicious, with a full, roasty-toasty corn flavor, but it gets even better. The company offers an array of surprising and delightful flavor combinations which come in separate pouches, so you control how much you put on your popcorn.  I have sampled three flavors, and genuinely enjoyed all of them.
Olive Oil and Herbs includes a packet of extra-virgin California olive oil and a packet of organic dried herbs and nutritional yeast to sprinkle over the popcorn. The nutritional yeast added a hint of cheesy flavor that blends nicely will the fragrant herbs. Lemon and Sea Salt includes a packet of expeller-pressed sunflower oil and a packet of dried lemon zest mixed with sea salt.  This was the most unexpected flavor combination for me, and I loved it instantly. The fresh zing of lemon really added something special to this snack. Finally, for a sweet-salty treat, there is Vermont Maple and Sea Salt.  A packet of expeller-pressed sunflower oil is accompanied by a packet of real maple sugar (no icky artificial maple flavoring here!) and sea salt. The result is a dangerously addictive “kettle corn” with a very subtle maple flavor.

This popcorn has a mid-range price as far as snack food goes, at $2.50 per packet, about the equivalent of a muffin or pastry in a local bakery.  However, I believe you pay for your health one way or another, and my personal philosophy is that I’d rather spend a little more on quality food now than a lot more on medications later.  Quinn Popcorn has made it onto my short list of delicious, safe, and convenient snacks, and taught me to love microwave popcorn again.