A few years ago, I tried a Japanese-inspired version of classic Chex Mix that used furikake, that delicious seasoning of sesame seeds, spices, seaweed, and dried fish. The crunchy cereal coated with furikake blew my mind, so why couldn’t the same idea be applied to popcorn? Thus the idea for furikake popcorn was born. I wanted to turn kettle corn on its head and given it a fun Japanese twist.
I thought I wanted to start by making homemade kettle corn, but after many failed attempts with burned sugar and popcorn kernels, I realized that a much easier way to go was to take already-popped corn and coat it with a light stovetop caramel instead. This caramel also helped the furikake to adhere to the popcorn, and just a short time in the oven got everything get nice and crunchy.
