SPICY UMAMI POPCORN

“Popcorn is often either sweet, salty or sweet-and-salty,” points out recipe creator Yi Jun Loh. “This begs the question: why isn’t there a spicy popcorn or umami popcorn? Or better yet, how about a spicy umami popcorn?” One Asia’s Most Influential: Tastemakers of 2021, Loh set out to fill the gap in the market for himself with this recipe, which was originally published on junandtonic.com and reprinted with his permission.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2 to 4 guests)

• 3 tbsp canola oil or any other neutral oil

• 1/3 cup unpopped popcorn kernels

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce

• 2 tsp fish sauce

• 1 tbsp Sriracha or 1 tsp Gochujang

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ cup nori (dried seaweed), roughly chopped

• ½ cup bonito flakes

• ½ tsp smoked paprika

• 1 cup granulated or caster sugar

TATLER TIP: An advocate for mise en place, Loh advises weighing and prepping all your ingredients before getting to work on the caramel, which burns easily and requires your full attention.

INSTRUCTIONS Make the popcorn:

1. First, pour the oil into a deep pot or wok. Add 3-5 popcorn kernels. Cover the pot with a lid and place it over high heat. When all the kernels have popped, take the pan off the heat, and add the rest of the kernels.

Give the kernels a quick stir to coat them evenly with hot oil and then leave the pot covered for 30 seconds. With the lid still on, turn the heat on high and let all the popcorn pop. When the pops subside (to a rate of less than 1 pop per second), take the pot off the heat.

2. In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, fish sauce, hot sauce and baking soda together. In a separate bowl, combine the chopped nori, bonito flakes and smoked paprika. Preheat your oven to 110°C and line a baking tray with baking paper or a silicon mat.

3. Make the popcorn caramel: Sprinkle ¼ of the sugar evenly into a pan (non-stick advisable) and turn the heat to medium. When some of the sugar starts to melt, sprinkle a little more sugar on the melted parts. Do this until you’ve added all the sugar. Keep cooking the sugar until it turns into a caramel and swirl the pan occasionally. When the sugar has turned a deep amber, add the sauce mixture and whisk vigorously. The caramel will start frothing and might seem split, but keep whisking it for 30-60 seconds until it comes together into a smooth lava.

4. Pour the caramel onto your popped corn, add the dry ingredients and use a spatula to mix everything together. The caramel will harden with time, becoming tricky to mix, so work fast!

5. Spread all the popcorn onto a baking tray in an even layer and bake at 110°C for 60 minutes, giving the popcorn a rough stir every 15 minutes.

6. Remove popcorn from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before eating. The spicy umami popcorn keeps well in an airtight container for up to 3 days, although it’ll lose its crunch over time.