Types of Popcorn by Bridget

Erica showed us how to make perfect stovetop popcorn. Natalie shared ways to elevate popcorn. (That chocolate version has my name written all over it.) But have you ever wondered about the types and varieties of popping corn?

When we were growing up, my dad popped popcorn almost every night. He still does. Some nights he eats it for dessert, some nights it’s for dinner. He always popped it on the stove (no microwave popcorn allowed), and it was always standard yellow popcorn.

 
 

Over the years, I know I’ve given him sets of colored popcorns and gourmet popcorns, but he always goes back to his yellow. I decided I need to check out these varieties for myself.

 
 

First things first: once you pop the corn, pour some butter over it, and sprinkle with salt, it all tastes pretty similar. Most of the differences come in size and shape. Except for the mushroom type, all of the other types here are called “butterfly” or “snowflake” because of their shape once popped.

 
 

From left to right: ladyfinger, white, yellow, and mushroom kernels.

 
Some popcorns are labeled as “hulless.” This is a bit of a misnomer, as the hull is the outer layer of the kernel—all popping corn has a hull. Varieties known as hulless are generally smaller with a thinner shell.

 
 

YELLOW

Yellow is the popcorn you’ll find at your local grocery store. It’s large, yellow in color, and exactly what you think of when you think “popcorn.” Yellow popcorn, even the organic varieties, is inexpensive. We always have some on hand. This is also what movie theaters use.

 
 

WHITE

Similar in size to yellow, white popcorn pops up, you guessed it, white. The pieces are slightly more tender than yellow popcorn.

 
 

Here’s a comparison of the two. Both of these varieties are just the ticket for traditional buttery or cheesy popcorn.

 
 

MUSHROOM

Mushroom popcorn is big, billowy, and fluffy. It’s ideal for candy coating or drizzling with chocolate. I’ve eaten mushroom popcorn before, but this was my first time popping it at home. When I lifted the lid, my heart did a little pitter-patter: it’s so fluffy! (Please read that in the voice of Agnes from Despicable Me.)

 
 

LADYFINGER

This yellow popcorn is dainty. If you love the tiny pieces of popcorn at the bottom of the bowl, you’ll love ladyfinger. The small size makes this type good for topping soups or baked goods.

 
 

From left to right: mushroom, yellow, and ladyfinger popcorn.

Here they are side by side so you have an idea of their respective sizes.

 
 

Have you ever seen colored popcorn? Red, blue, and purple are the common varieties.

 
 

RED

Red pops up white! A little smaller than the traditional yellow and white popcorn, red also has a very neutral taste and more crunch.

 
 

BLUE

Blue is very similar to red. Pops white with a big crunch and slightly smaller size.

 
 

PURPLE

Of the colored popcorns, purple has the most flavor.

 
 

Once popped, it’s a pale yellow with small purple spots. The kernels are a little larger than the blue or red types.

 
 

Now that we’ve tested all seven, our family favorites are yellow, white, mushroom, and purple. The difficult task will be deciding what to pop for our next movie night!