Who doesn't love
popcorn? Along with hot dogs, apple pie, hamburgers and barbecue,
it's been an American favorite--or should I say tradition--for
generations. A humble treat, popcorn can grow in other parts of
the world where other corn can't. It was grown in the Americas,
China, Mexico and India long before Columbus journeyed to America.
According to urban myth, it was brought to the "first" Thanksgiving"
(New Mexico natives don't buy that) by the Iroquois and
since then, a tradition has existed of bringing popcorn to peace
negotiations as a token of good will. Today Americans consume over
seven billion quarts of popcorn every year.
In Chicago, Garrett's
has sold popcorn to generations of Windy City residents and has earned
acclaim on high from such cognoscenti as Michael and Jane Stern,
America's roadfood
authorities. Alas, with hour-long lines of patrons snaking around
the building at this Michigan Avenue standard, we don't often have the
time, patience or inclination to wait during our visits to Chicago.
Fortunately Albuquerque
now has its own popcorn specialty store--and while it may not be
Garrett's (a truly incomparable shop), it's pretty darn good in its own
right. Appropriately enough, it's owned by former residents of
McHenry, a northwest suburb of Chicago. The Walkers are passionate
about popcorn and pop their product daily the old-fashioned way, in
small batches using great ingredients to ensure you always receive an
unfailingly fresh popcorn product.
The Walker's popcorn
flavors are innovative and unique. You no longer have to imagine
what popcorn might taste like if flavored with hot cinnamon, watermelon,
tangerine, green apple because Walker's
has these flavors and many more. It's not quite the Baskin Robbins
of popcorn, but you get the picture. Traditionalists can have
their plain buttered popcorn or cheddar cheese flavored popcorn if
they're daring, but you're well advised to venture into the realm of
sensory exploration. Skeptics will be quickly disarmed when they
find the fruit flavored popcorn actually has a fruity taste.
Expatriated Chicagoans
(like my wife) order their popcorn Chicago style (cheddar tossed with
caramel) by the gallon tin size. The sharp cheddar taste and
caramel sweetness mingle beautifully and will leave your hands an
orange, sticky mess. New Mexico style popcorn features green chile
tossed with caramel. The green chili is, in fact, more piquant
than what is served in many New Mexican restaurants. A green chile
enchilada popcorn is also available.
Walker's popcorn will
put to shame any popcorn made in a movie theater and just may have you
swearing off the piteous microwave mediocrity. Seasonal
specialties include a biscochito flavored popcorn (that does include the
flavor of anise and cinnamon) and a licorice flavored popcorn that's
popular around Halloween. Other store specialties include fudge
and caramel apples.
