"kernels" news and stories

This bag of dried Peruvian corn or cancha also turned up as a result of some spring cleaning. Truth be told, I was cleaning my car. My girlfriend left it in the back seat a few weeks ago, after a visit to our local Hispanic supermarket. We've always enjoyed the small bowls of cancha that our favorite Peruvian restaurant serves, so making it at home seemed like a good idea. (As an aside, yes, I know that these are probably not all that different than the Popnots that I spoke less than fondly of a few weeks ago.) Basically, these large dried kernels get popped just like popcorn, except that they don't really turn inside out, they just puff up and turn golden brown. The Goya website has a recipe, but really all you need to do is heat a little vegetable oil in a pot with a tight lid, add the corn and shake it until it pops, then drain it on some paper towels and toss with salt. It's a great snack by itself, with some hot sauce and especially with ceviche.

I recall hearing about this a few years back and thinking, "Man, I hate those half-popped kernels at the bottom of the bag." I guess some people like them though, because Popnots are still around. For those unfamiliar, these are whole bags (or cans) of the semi-popped kernels of corn that occasionally show up in bags of popcorn. The folks at Popnots try to diss regular popcorn, saying it has no flavor, but I'm not buying it. As a side note, my girlfriend, who manages a dentist's office, says that some of the most common patient complaints are broken teeth and crowns that happened when people were eating less than fully popped corn. I'm sure that these kernels have their fans. Anyone care to speak up in defense of Popnots?