Let’s talk about popcorn! This humble snack is a culinary superstar, popping up in kitchens and street stalls all around the world. From Asia to Africa, Europe to the Americas, popcorn is a snack that connects us culture to culture. So, picture this: you have a big bowl of hot, freshly popped popcorn in front of you, waiting to be devoured — what are you going to put on top of it? I asked people from all over the world, and here’s what they said:
USA
“During the colonial period in America, corn was the most widely eaten food crop. So they got pretty creative making different recipes with it. The taste is sweet and fluffy and crunchy. Some historians say that this is the predecessor to our modern American bowl of cereal.”
Submitted By: Krystal
Colonial Cereal
Ingredients:
Popped popcorn (no salt)
Buttermilk or regular milk
Molasses
Directions:
Take unsalted popcorn in a bowl, pour milk over it. Then drizzle it with molasses. Eat right away!
NEW ZEALAND
“The taste can vary from a strong molasses flavor to a more sweet honey flavor, depending on the ratio [of ingredients] you use.”
Submitted By: Roseannah
Molasses, Honey, & Butter Popcorn
Ingredients:
Popped popcorn
Honey
Salted butter
Molasses
Directions:
Melt butter, honey and molasses together and bring to a boil for 1-3 minutes until homogeneous and slightly thickened.
Pour over the popcorn while it’s still hot and mix through.
USA
“It’s actually more similar to a Rice Krispies Treat that is using popcorn instead of cereal. It has this very soft, gooey, velvety texture to it that never hardens.”
Submitted By: Liz
Always Soft Caramel Popcorn
Ingredients:
4 cups popped popcorn
4 large marshmallows
¼ cup brown sugar
4 Tbsp salted butter
Directions:
Melt all ingredients (except popcorn) in a sauce pan. Pour mixture over 4 cups of popped popcorn and mix to coat. Enjoy!
CANADA
“I love it because it’s the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, salty, smoky, with a hint of lime. It’s a little bit different and packs a lot of flavor.”
Submitted By: Jaime
Chili Lime Popcorn
Ingredients:
Popped popcorn
Clear chili oil
Sugar
Salt
Smoked paprika
Cumin
Lime juice
Directions:
When popcorn is still hot, drizzle on chilli oil (no chunks, just a clean, spicy oil), mix it up.
Generously sprinkle on this spice blend: 1 part sugar, 1/2 part salt, 1/2 part smoked sweet paprika, 1/4 part cumin. I personally like to grind this into a powder so it’s more fine, but it’s not necessary.
Finally, squeeze on some fresh lime juice and enjoy.
USA
“When I was a kid, anytime I would go grocery shopping with my Grandma, we would always stop at the Walmart food court and have this combo. The flavors are very intense and salty and buttery. It’s definitely a multi-dimensional flavor and texture experience.”
Submitted By: Alex
Popcorn with Mustard & Pickles
Ingredients:
Popped popcorn
Salted butter
Yellow mustard
Large dill pickle
Directions:
Melt the butter and pour over popcorn, toss to coat.
Dip the pickle into yellow mustard and then into the buttery popcorn, take a bite and continue eating this way.
USA
“My wife and I have been together since 1995 and I love her endlessly. We made a roast sumac chicken recipe that she really loves, so one day I decided to make popcorn with butter and sumac. The sumac is almost lemony and adds a light citrus flavor. For me, this popcorn is more of a love story that’s ready in less than five minutes.”
Submitted By: Brian
Sumac Popcorn
Ingredients:
Popped popcorn
Sumac
Salted butter, melted
Directions:
Drizzle melted butter onto popcorn in a couple stages. Sprinkle sumac on with the butter as you add it and mix it with the popcorn. The butter helps the sumac stick. You can add more salt to taste if needed.
Palestine/USA
“Za’atar is a combination of sumac, sesame seeds, salt, and dried herbs like thyme, oregano, and marjoram. My Grandfather is from Palestine and he loves both popcorn and za’atar.”
Submitted By: Stephanie
Za’atar Popcorn
Ingredients:
Unpopped popcorn
Coconut oil
Butter
Salt
Za’atar
Directions:
Pop the popcorn on the stovetop using coconut oil as the fat.
While the popcorn is popping, melt about 1 Tbsp of butter in another small pot on the stove.
Toss the popcorn and butter in a big bowl.
Sprinkle with a very large pinch of salt and about a tablespoon of za’atar and toss again.
THE PHILIPPINES
“It has a very smoky BBQ flavor. It actually comes in packets where I live. It’s a very fun snack for a movie night.”
Submitted By: Tasneem
BBQ Popcorn
Ingredients:
Popped popcorn
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp brown sugar
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp chili powder (optional)
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt
Directions:
Mix all the BBQ spices together. Sprinkle over popcorn to taste and toss to coat.
CANADA
“It’s crunchy, it’s sweet, it’s salty, it’s maple-y, it reminds you of pancakes. It’s great for movie nights and games nights because it doesn’t leave your fingers sticky.”
Submitted By: Sarah
Full Recipe: Maple Butter Popcorn
ARGENTINA
“Merkén is a traditional indigenous Chilean chili powder. It is spicy, earthy, and smoky. This topping is a quick and easy way to elevate your popcorn by adding a touch of Patagonian flavors.”
Submitted By: Vanessa & Agustina
Merkén & Chili Popcorn
Ingredients:
1/3 cup of popcorn kernels
2 tablespoons of butter
1/2 tablespoon of Merkén
1/2 tablespoon of chili flakes
Salt to taste
Directions:
Pop popcorn.
Once the popcorn is done, melt the butter at low heat until it starts to foam and then add the chili flakes, merkén, and salt. Heat the spices for about a minute, careful not to burn them.
Slowly add a bit of the spiced melted butter to the popcorn and mix/shake and repeat until you’ve added all of the butter. You want each kernel to be coated in butter. If you add all of the butter at once they’ll end up uneven, some soggy and some dry.
SHARE THE LOVE
So, picture this: you have a big bowl of freshly popped popcorn steaming on the counter, waiting to be devoured — what are you going to put on top of it? Here are the global popcorn toppings worth trying tonight.
Pregnancy cravings take taste buds on a global rollercoaster. I asked 10 moms from 10 countries what they crave most.
Discover seven creative recipes using 7 Fishwife tinned fishes, showcasing bold flavors, easy meals, and deliciously versatile seafood inspiration.
©2025 Beryl Shereshewsky | About Dishes Articles Artists Contact Me FAQs Privacy Policy
