Trader Joe's Popcorn with Herbs & Spices

This is one of those snacks I tried when I first started this blog. Then life got busy. Pumpkin spice this and cookie butter that were far more scintillating to blog about, so this got pushed back further and further in the queue until I promptly forgot about it. TJ's recently held a #50YearsofTJsContest on Instagram (I came nowhere near winning but it was fun :P), and I had some lofty idea to use 10 bags of the best popcorn ever.* Of course, pickle popcorn vacates the shelves around this time of year to make way for the onslaught of pumpkin spice (I love fall. But I love to hate on pumpkin spice. And fidget spinners for that matter). 

*I'll be the first person to say that the pickle popcorn isn't objectively the best popcorn ever. It's a very niche product. Highly addictive if you love salty, dill-y, pickly/briny-flavored snacks. Sometimes nostalgia trumps objectivity. 

Popcorn is one of those flexible snacks that you can practically market a health food but secretly make it SUPER JUNKY and delicious. 100% whole grain! Gluten free (Duh. It's corn)! 

Can I just say bagged popcorn trumps fresh popcorn never? In the realm of bagged popcorns, TJ's takes the prize for cheapest, but I'm not sure it retains the best crunch. Personally, I think Angie's BoomChickaPop has a better crispness. For the record, I haven't eaten my way through the popcorn selection at TJ's, mostly because I'm 95% confident that the ones that I have tried suit my taste preference best. Will I have nice things to say about a salty-sweet kettle corn? Maybe. But if you'd like more popcorn reviews, drop me a note. :) 

The main thing that jumped out at me years ago was the use of celery seed and dill. You don't see a lot of that in commercial popcorns, usually just the usual cheese, butter, or garlic/onion. 

When I first tried this, I remember forcing A to try some and he did not like the herby dill or celery seed. The dill adds this fresh, bright tone to the overall savoriness that is just different. I happen to like it - the flavor is complex enough to be interesting but salty enough to suit my penchant for savory foods. But it might be too much of a stretch for people who don't really like foods packed with herbs like parsley or dill.  

I was quite obsessed with this for a while...until the pickle popcorn came out. But actually I've calmed down with the bagged popcorn. These days, I prefer to make my own ($2.29 for a TJ's bag of organic kernels that pop nicely in a brown paper bag in the microwave) and season it with nooch, chile lime (this seasoning singlehandedly upped my popcorn consumption for a while), or Everything But the Bagel Seasoning. The only thing with DIY popcorn is that I usually end up seasoning it more unevenly compared to a bagged version (mostly because I don't use that much oil), which I can tolerate but I'm usually a little apologetic if I serve it to company. So until I can make a perfectly seasoned batch of popcorn, TJ's remains my go-to for a movie night with friends type deal. Most of the TJ's popcorns run $1.99 for a 5 oz bag, so it's a no brainer. This isn't one of those things that you make a special trip for, but it's convenient, reliable, and affordable. Moderately healthy too. Unless you down the whole bag in one sitting. Which I may or may not have done. :P  

TL;DR: Trader Joe's Popcorn with Herbs & Spices. Replaces pickle popcorn this does not. But savory and interesting. 7 out of 10.