Freshly Popped Kettle Corn Tastes as Good as It Smells

On a recent Saturday morning, I was running late to a garden event at UC Irvine. I left the house without breakfast and by the time I got there, I was famished.

Luckily, there was a farmers market setting up across the street. I followed an enticing aroma to a vendor popping corn in a huge kettle over an open flame. It smelled so good, I forgot about gardening and joined the line.

I didn’t mind the wait because it was so much fun watching the kernels being stirred with a big stainless-steel paddle and scooped up warm into bags.

It’s called kettle corn, and it tastes as good as it smells. It’s sweetened with a bit of sugar, but it’s fluffy and crisp and doesn’t stick to your hands like caramel corn.

Some say the recipe originated more than 200 years ago. Tallow, needed in those days to make soap and candles, was made by rendering lard in huge kettles over a wood fire. It was hard work, and early settlers are said to have celebrated afterward by popping corn in the kettles with the leftover lard and a little salt and sugar.

The cooking process has been modernized, but the only change to the recipe is a switch from lard to vegetable oil. Kettle corn’s increasing popularity is making it standard fare at rodeos, fairs and other outdoor events.

Try some. But be careful. It’s addictive!

* Kettle corn (about 145 calories, 5 grams of fat per 3-cup serving): $1-$5 per bag at these certified farmers markets:

Irvine: University Town Center Marketplace parking lot, at Campus Drive and Bridge Road. Hours: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Laguna Niguel: Plaza de La Paz parking lot, at La Paz Road and Pacific Park Drive. Hours: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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