And it's probably already in your fridge.
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I live for good one-ingredient upgrades to my favorite snack foods. In fact, I’ll never forget the first time I saw The Parent Trap for this very reason. That was the first time I heard of dipping Oreos into peanut butter. I think this blew my mind more than finding out that Lindsay Lohan didn’t actually have a twin sister.
But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve started turning away from sweet snacks and toward salty snacks. Popcorn is a big part of my life now, and I eat it almost every day. I am an equal opportunity popcorn enjoyer; I like it whether it’s stovetop-popped, microwaved or sold in a bag.
So when I heard about a simple trick to make popcorn taste even better, I knew I had to try it out. Especially since all it required was a trip to the refrigerator.
What ingredient transforms popcorn?
It’s soy sauce! I told you, it’s easy. There are a few recipes out there, including one from Kikkoman. You can either add soy sauce to melted butter and then toss it with your popcorn for a nice, even coating. Or you can simply do what I did and put some popcorn and soy sauce into a big bowl with a lid and toss them until the soy sauce is incorporated. Two ingredients and about two minutes later, you’re ready for movie night.
How does soy sauce popcorn taste?
One word: incredible. At first I was worried that it would all be a little too salty, but that wasn’t the case. I also didn’t want it to get soggy, but it was surprisingly sturdy. I think the key is to use about a teaspoon of soy sauce per cup of popcorn, so it’s not an overwhelming amount of liquid. What I ended up using as my popcorn base was some store-bought popcorn in a bag (specifically, the LesserEvil Himalayan Pink Sea Salt variety). It has a decently buttery flavor, so tossing it with the soy sauce gave it a perfect hint of umami saltiness.
I would absolutely make this again. Even my quick version was delicious! But next time I might get fancy and make my own topping with soy sauce and butter. Another way to really up the ante would be to top it with some toasted sesame seeds.
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