POPCORN

There really is some popcorn called Princess Popcorn. My son gave me a jar of it for my birthday–he knows who butters his bread! The full name is Petite Princess Amber and apparently the same company (Crown Jewel Gourmet) has others because the label says it “has the smallest kernel size in the Crown Jewel ® Collection”. Well they are not kidding, it really is small. And crunchy. And delicious! I whipped up some popcorn and then whipped out my camera to show you a highly scientific comparison:

Size comparison of three different popcorn types

Both the Jolly Time (purchased at local grocery store) and Princess popcorn (received as gift from darling son) were popped in my previously lauded PowerPop popper. The other popcorn was a microwave-in-a-bag type of popcorn (I think it was Orville Redenbacher, but not completely sure about that–guess I should slow down a wee bit…). Isn’t the Princess Popcorn tiny and cute? As my sister and I are fond of saying, cute food is always good. Let me give you the rest of the skinny from the label on the Princess Popcorn jar:

…the smallest kernel size in the Crown Jewel ® Collection, possibly the smallest in the world. Also, due to its ultra-thin hull, it is the most tender popcorn available anywhere.

This extraordinary hybrid feeds on the rich, dark soil in east-central Iowa and relies solely on the rain provided by mother nature for its water. A low per acre yield makes it difficult and expensive to grow. Superior taste, unparalleled texture and its miniature size make it the most unique and unusual popcorn you will ever try.

Pretty good marketing copy. I definitely give this popcorn a thumbs up, and I may even have to try some others from Crown Jewel Gourmet. Shipping costs for unpopped corn can be relatively expensive due to the weight, so I don’t ordinarily buy it online. It is fun to splurge every once in a while, though! For example, a two pound bag of Princess Popcorn costs US $7.50 for the popcorn and $7.00 for residential delivery. Ouch. Perhaps this is the occasion to get your popcorn loving friends and neighbors together to place one combined order. I did see on their web site that Crown Jewel Gourmet is available at Williams Sonoma stores (though I could not find the popcorn listed on Williams Sonoma’s web site).

The only thing that bugs me about this mini popcorn, is, well, it’s mini. When you are used to savoring a bowl of a particular volume of popcorn, it can be alarming when you are faced with a much smaller amount in your vessel. Just a challenge I will have to try and try to overcome.

Anyone out there have a jewel of a popcorn they’d like to share?