Matcha Transforms This Movie Night Staple Into A Savory Snack You Can't Resist

Popcorn may just be the most versatile homemade snack of all time. Though popcorn is shockingly delicious even when seasoned simply, its nutty, subtle flavor is the perfect foundation for building a wide array of flavors, both savory and sweet, as well as spicy, herbaceous, or even sour and bitter. That's why those huge tri-blend canisters of popcorn that show up in American offices each Christmas are so popular — they allow us to indulge in blending sugary, crunchy caramel with the salt bomb of fake cheese, balancing everything with the neutral-yet-tasty plain version.

It's also ridiculously simple to replicate these flavors at home, and elevate them to your liking, from adding umami flavor to your caramel corn with bacon bits to sticking with the expected shake or two of powdered Parmesan cheese or sprinkle of Flavacol, a la movie theater popcorn. You can also throw tradition to the wind entirely in favor of a flavoring that also skews sweet or savory while adding delightful, bright bitterness to your snack: matcha powder. It's even ridiculously simple to make your own matcha salt for an easy way to curb the bitterness before adding it to your popped, buttered kernels.

Making a matcha compound butter is also a good way to curb some of the divisive "grassy" flavor and bring forward the sweeter, malty undertones, as fat helps downplay sharper flavors. Additionally, using equal parts salt and sugar in matcha salt showcases the matcha by adding dimension and balanced flavor to each bite.

As mentioned, matcha is a great match for sweet and savory flavor lovers alike, so if you can think of a flavor that goes well with matcha, it'll be delicious on matcha popcorn. One of the most popular sweet matcha pairings is white chocolate. It's rich lushness complements matcha's most prominent bitter notes, softening them to a light background flavor. While you can certainly combine these ingredients by simply tossing some white chocolate chips into your popcorn, it's worth the time and effort to essentially candy your kernels by tossing them (still warm) into a bowl of buttery melted white chocolate and sprinkling the coated popcorn with matcha.

The same, of course, can be done with dark chocolate, which, ironically, is also an excellent pairing with matcha. The bitterness in both ingredients cancel each other out (provided they're sweetened properly), allowing a fruity, earthy richness to shine through. Adding them to popcorn works because the subtle kernels serve as a sort of palate cleanser for the other two big flavors.

If you're in a savory mood but want something more exciting than matcha salt, try stirring it together with a packet of your favorite ramen seasoning. Unexpectedly, ramen seasoning makes a complex and tasty popcorn topping that's only made more delicious with matcha, which adds a grassy depth that makes this simple snack gourmet. This combo also works great with spicy additions like smoked paprika, sriracha butter, or a drizzle of hot honey to bring together all three flavor profiles.