Testing Japan’s latest food hack trend: Adding instant corn soup powder to popcorn[Taste test]

A two-ingredient food hack promising a delicious upgrade. From time to time, Japan sees interesting and unusual food hacks popping up on the internet, preparing food in new ways for unexpected delights, or combining several to create unique flavors. Here at SoraNews24, we are keen to put our tastebuds and stomachs to the test in the neverending quest for culinary bliss, so when we spotted the latest idea and the positive reviews, we knew we had to give it a go for ourselves.

The idea itself comes from a tweet found on the official Twitter account of Japanese food company Ajinomoto, which is well known in Japan for its range of seasonings, and calls for just two ingredients: Knorr Instant Cream of Corn Soup (made by Ajinomoto) and Frito Lay’s Mike Popcorn Butter and Soy Sauce Flavor, and all you have to do is to mix the two together. With both in hand, it was time to get tasting. Having never tried this popcorn before, I wanted to get a clear understanding of the base flavor before adding anything extra in the mix.

As far as popcorn goes, I’m more of a caramel fan, and very much against salted popcorn, so I was a bit hesitant as my hand reached into the packet. However, popping a piece into my mouth revealed a gentle savory taste rather than the salt that I was expecting, neither the butter nor the soy sauce being so prominent that it overpowered the natural taste of the popcorn. I felt I could quite contentedly eat the entire bag as it stood.

Now came the time for the extra seasoning of the instant cream of corn soup. I set aside some of the popcorn… and sprinkled over the powder …

eventually fully coating the popcorn in a bright yellow dust. The powdered soup offered a deeper taste that added an extra hint of sweetness from the corn. If I had to liken it to something, perhaps it would be the corn potage flavor of Umaibo, a cheap Japanese corn snack that is beloved by children, just not as light and airy.

Deciding to go back to the original flavor to compare it