I have to confess:  I'm not a fan of the term "gourmet popcorn". 

Sure, the word "gourmet" has flattering connotations:

"of or characteristic of a gourmet, especially in involving or purporting to involve high-quality or exotic ingredients and skilled preparation."

That's fine.  When I hear the word "gourmet", I think of a restaurant, especially one that is very fancy, rather expensive and not somewhere that I can eat often.  When I think of the food they serve, I don't think, "Oh yeah, we'll find some great popcorn there!"

It seems that somewhere back in the early 1980's, popcorn guru Orville Redenbacher began referring to his specially developed hybrid of popping corn as "gourmet popping corn" because of its lighter, fluffier quality and greater popping ratio.  Redenbacher deserves credit for his dedication to producing better popcorn.

Since then the term "gourmet popcorn" has been adopted by anyone and everyone who wants to elevate their version of this simple snack food to the heights of the world's great cuisines.  Some may deserve the appellation, but frankly, most do not.

I learned to love popcorn well before I developed my tastes for gourmet cuisine.  I remember being a kid curled up on the couch and sharing a bowl of popcorn with my family, sometimes dusted with Old Bay or parmiggiano cheese (the popcorn, not the family).  These weren't close encounters with fine French cuisine.  They were good times with the most casual and simple food I can image: popcorn.

On several occassions I have heard folks refer to my popcorn as "gourmet popcorn".  Let me assure you, I do consider that a genuine compliment and I would never want to change how people feel about what I make.  That's the best kind of opinion there is, the one that comes naturally and from the heart.

I cook with a passion for food and it's usually not fancy, not pretentious and certainly not expensive.  I cook to make people happy and to share the love and friendship that I feel for people.  You're not graced to be at my table; I'm blessed to have the opportunity to cook for you!

As for CrunchDaddy Popcorn... Feel free to call it whatever you like!  We'll just consider it our privilege to make it for you and to share the love of simply good snacking.

Dan Bazis

CCO (Chief Crunch Officer)

CrunchDaddy Popcorn