Chicago-made Bacon Bourbon Caramel Corn at Mount Everest Base Camp.
When Rockford, Ill., climber Bob Peterson reached the base camp of Mount Everest, a 60-mile trek, 9,000 feet of it uphill, he celebrated with an unusual local trail mix made in Chicago: Salted Caramel’s sweet-and-savory Bacon Bourbon Caramel Corn.
“You see lots of granola bars and power bars. Pringles are also popular because of their sturdy packaging. My caramel corn was definitely the most unusual snack on the trek and I knew it would be a treat for the group,” said Peterson, 56, who made the journey in March with a group aiming to create awareness about inflammatory bowel disease.
“We ate two of the bags on the way up, but one bag made it all the way to base camp. You can see by the photo that the air pressure expanded in the bag. I thought it was going to explode!”
Oddly enough, the snack’s creator, Ginna Haravon, has also logged time at Everest — Everest restaurant, in the Loop — where the Kendall College grad was once a pastry assistant. Launched in 2009, the piggy product is sold online in 8-ounce ($12) and 24-ounce bags ($34). It’s also available locally at Provenance Food & Wine in Lincoln Square and Logan Square and Lush Wine & Spirits in Roscoe Village, University Village and West Town.
Haravon and partner Bridget Doherty introduced a second Salted Caramel product, Smoked Pecan Bourbon Caramel Corn, this month.
