By Julie Yoshioka
Daily Bruin Contributor
At first bite, kettle korn is the paradox of the snack world. In
one crunchy and tender mouthful, it teases the taste buds with
salty sweetness.
These contrasting qualities, however, give kettle korn the
unique taste it is known for.
“It has a caramel kind of taste, but it’s also
salty,” said first-year computer science student Dennis
Pacas. “It’s a good mix and it gives it a nice
flavor.”
Kettle korn, which has become a regular feature in weekly
farmers’ markets as well as recently staking a claim on
campus, is simply made with soybean oil, sugar and salt.
According to venders, it is low in fat and high in fiber, a
popular theme in current eating trends.
“(People) like that it’s low in fat since many
people are health-conscious,” said Jack White, owner of
Frontier Kettle Korn, which has a booth in Westwood Farmers’
Market.
With its simple ingredients, kettle korn attracts a popular
following.
“It’s traditionally salty, yet very sweet.
It’s consistent and fresh,” said John Davis, a campus
vendor. “I get it every day when I’m down
here.”
Davis and others on campus purchase the popular snack at Old
Country Kettle Korn, which established itself at UCLA earlier this
quarter.
Eric Cafferio, owner of Old Country Kettle Korn and a UCLA
alumnus, said he prided himself in taking great care to develop his
kettle korn.
“I was really into making the best kettle korn
possible,” Cafferio said. “The type of pop and the type
of corn are really important.”
Cafferio described the “pop” as the structure of the
actual popcorn piece after it is prepared.
“I wanted the more pop for the kernel,” Cafferio
said. “So I had to spend a little more and have the corn
brought in from Nebraska.”
Although Cafferio said that it takes time to perfect the kettle
korn, he is pleased with the final product.
He also said customer feedback helped improve the kettle
korn.
According to both Cafferio and White, the cooking process
consists solely of popping the corn in a large kettle with soybean
oil, and then transferring it into a cooling bin where the salt and
sugar mixture is sprinkled on top.
Although the procedure may appear fairly simple, it takes
precise measurements of salt and sugar to give kettle korn its
unique flavor.
“The recipe is an exact formula, but we keep that a
secret,” White said.
The JollyTime Web site, however, gives a recipe for making
kettle korn, and calls for heating oil in a pan, adding 1/2 cup
popcorn, and finally sprinkling three tablespoons of sugar over the
entire batch.
As a final step to cooking the kettle korn, Cafferio places a
screen at the bottom of the cooling bin to filter out any
“old maids” (unpopped kernels) or small pieces.
He also said heat was important in cooking the popcorn.
“It needs to be just right, because if it isn’t, the
sugar won’t distribute right,” Cafferio said.
“The sugar should lightly melt and caramelize and coat all of
the corn.”
Hoping that they will return to purchase a bag, many venders
offer passersby free samples.
“Everyone who gets a free sample usually comes back and
buys a bag sooner or later,” Cafferio said.
Frontier Kettle Korn also hands out kettle korn to potential
customers.
These samples, in addition to their reputation and
distinguishable smell, help attract long lines of customers.
Pacas recalled walking down Bruin Walk when he noticed the
kettle korn’s aroma, which led him to buy his first bag.
Customers can choose bags ranging in size from small, medium and
large, starting at $2.
“I usually get a small,” Pacas said. “But
it’s not enough. My roommates rob me of it.”
Although it seems as if kettle korn has only recently become a
popular snack, the German immigrant community in early nineteenth
century Missouri first introduced the snack to America.
“Strangely enough, it was a treat on butchering
day,” White explained. “At the end of the day, the fat
would be rendered from the animal and they would pop corn in the
same kettle and sweeten it with molasses or honey.”
White said he himself introduced kettle korn to California in
1995 after tasting it in Arizona.
“I thought, “˜I’ve never seen anything like
that in California,'” White said.
After starting out in Santa Maria, White later expanded his
business to a farmers’ market in Simi Valley.
“At first, it was a little slow and people weren’t
used to having their corn sweetened,” White said. “But
at the first farmers’ market, everyone just loved it. They
thought it was a unique product,”
Now, the White family sells its product at numerous
farmers’ markets, including those in Westwood and
Brentwood.
Cafferio, on the other hand, only sets up shop on the UCLA
campus and changes locations weekly between the four different
areas of LuValle, the Bombshelter, Campus Corner and Ackerman
Student Union in order to build a little clientele all over
campus.
In terms of its future, however, Old Country Kettle Korn is in
the midst of negotiations with the Associated Students of UCLA
regarding its extension into the summer as well as the following
academic year.
“We’re still dealing with the university on
placement through future periods,” said Dave Nirenberg,
associate director for UCLA Restaurants .
Nonetheless, with optimism at hand, Cafferio continues to serve
what he considers “the best thing to happen for popcorn since
the microwave bag.”