Sweet of the Week: Thai Peanut Caramel Corn at Popcorn Asylum

At the risk of sounding like a movie theater snob, I've never really been a fan of popcorn. Given the choice, anytime I'm in a snacking mood I steer away from popcorn in favor of chocolate, gummies, or chips. Popcorn is pretty far down the snack ladder. So it takes a special kind of corn to capture my attention and whet my whistle. For instance, any of the popcorn at Popcorn Asylum, an unconventional popcorn shop/art gallery space on the edge of Lincoln Park and Lakeview. Here, the bare-bones space peddles popcorn in unusual sweet and savory varieties. Being the savage sweet tooth that I am, I favor the sweeter varieties, like peanut butter and jelly, strawberry balsamic, or their popular maple caramel. Or even better, their Thai peanut caramel, which runs circles around typical caramel corn. 

Popcorn Asylum
Popcorn Asylum

My ideal caramel corn is one that skirts the excess sweetness in favor of a more sweet-savory balance. This is especially true of the Thai peanut caramel corn from Popcorn Asylum, a popcorn that tempers caramel's innate toasty sweetness with a pretty high dosage of spice. Seriously, this stuff can clear sinuses with a little kernel. Made with peanut butter, coconut, Thai herbs, and spices, this stuff is mighty heady, with the aromas and sensations of a creamy Thai curry that just so happens to be enrobed over popcorn. It's sticky-sweet, but savory and pungent enough to keep you coming back for more and more and more. It just may well be the ultimate snack for any and all cravings.  


- Matt Kirouac

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