Add A Burst Of Citrus To Your Popcorn For A Whole New World Of Flavor

Popcorn is a snack that I enjoy best when it's accompanied by some kind of extra sauce or topping. While Ina Garten opts for a savory blend of butter, parmesan, chili powder, and salt on her microwaved popcorn, others prefer a more radical alteration to the famous movie snack. This could come in the form of added hot sauce or chocolate drizzle. But, most recently, a lesser-explored taste combination has caught the attention of popcorn lovers. 

Many TikTok creators now swear by adding lemon to their popcorn. Apparently, the sour nature of the citrus blends incredibly well with the saltiness of the popcorn. While some choose to add lemon juice straight into their bowl, other connoisseurs zest the fruit and mix it with sprinkling salt, butter, or seasoning powder to get an additional kick of sour and crunchy delight. (Just remember to use unwaxed lemons if you plan to grate the peel into your food.)

Similar to the citrus and coffee trend that's been doing the rounds on social media, adding citrus to popcorn works so well that it's almost surprising it wasn't commonplace already. If you're not a fan of adding liquid to your bowl of popcorn (no one wants soggy kernels), there are countless ways to add lemony hints using dry ingredients. While zesting a lemon over your popcorn can get the job done without the lemon juice, adding either lemon-flavored salt or lemon sugar to the snack also goes a long way to achieving a zingy taste and keeping your popcorn dry.

You can also incorporate citrus into buttered popcorn by melting your butter with some lemon juice and zest to infuse the flavors. If you want a slightly different taste profile but still crave a sour tang, you can zest an orange or lime into your popcorn or popcorn toppings. My personal favorite combo is to cover a bowl of lemon-infused popcorn with some chocolate sauce to add another layer of sweetness to the salty snack — move night doesn't get much better than that.