Critical DMs are lightly edited Slack conversations by members of the MPR News arts team about Minnesota art and culture.
This week, arts editor Max Sparber and arts reporter and critic Jacob Aloi discuss Candyland’s Chicago Mix popcorn.
Max Sparber: All right, it’s popcorn time.
Jacob Aloi: Although I’m currently in Chicago, I couldn’t get my hands on Chicago Mix. But that’s probably fine, seeing as it’s not originally from Chicago, right?
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Sparber: The origin of the idea isn’t clear — mixed popcorns have been around for ages. But you’re right: The name was coined in Minnesota. Specifically, by Candyland in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Stillwater.
Garrett Popcorn in Chicago used the name Chicago Mix, and Candyland subsequently filed a lawsuit.
Aloi: “Chicago Mix” does have a nicer ring to it than “Twin Cities Mix.” Apologies to the MSP metropolitan area.
Sparber: Candyland thought so too when they named it. “Chicago Mix” just sounds like something you’d want to eat.
Let’s break it down.
Aloi: Candyland’s Chicago Mix is a combination of cheese popcorn, caramel popcorn, and what’s been described as “seasoned” popcorn.
Sparber: The cheese is powdered cheddar, and to reassure spice-averse Midwesterners, the seasoning is just popcorn oil and salt.
I’ve had mixed popcorns with hot pepper seasoning — this isn’t like that.
Aloi: Salt is indeed a seasoning — clever marketing!
Sparber: No falsehoods here!
Aloi: What I enjoy about the mix is that it offers a balanced blend of savory and sweet, with the “seasoned” popcorn adding an extra touch of saltiness.
Sparber: It’s a staple in my home. Both my girlfriend and I eat a lot of it, and our dog constantly pesters us for some.
Aloi: Do you have it year-round? I always thought of it as a winter treat until I started at MPR, where it’s a popular meeting snack.
Sparber: I buy it whenever I’m near Candyland. Since I live near downtown Minneapolis and there’s a Candyland a few blocks from our St. Paul office, it happens quite often.
I also get the Chicago Mix knockoffs from grocery stores. They have their merits, but most don’t include the seasoned popcorn, making it a more one-dimensional blend of sweet and savory.
Aloi: Yes, you need the regular stuff to balance the stronger flavors.
Sparber: I agree. Despite its name, the Candyland version feels uniquely Minnesotan.
There’s something very Minnesotan about keeping your origins subtle. Like Prince telling Matt Damon that he lives inside his own heart.
Aloi: Chicago Mix: the Prince of snack foods.
Sparber: That’s a great slogan.
Aloi: The snack food formerly known as Chicago Mix.
Sparber: Chicago Mix: It lives inside your own heart, Matt Damon.
Actually, it’s more like Vince Vaughn. He was born in Minneapolis but considers himself a Chicagoan, where he grew up.
Aloi: Well, regardless, I think Candyland has rightfully earned the title of the definitive supplier of Chicago Mix.
Sparber: By law!
It puzzles me that everyone went crazy for the Jucy Lucy a few years ago, yet Chicago Mix hasn’t quite achieved the same local food status.
Aloi: It’s about name recognition. The name is catchy and marketable but prevents it from being a local icon.
Sparber: True, if the Jucy Lucy had been called the Santa Fe Lucy, none of us would be talking about it.
Chicago Mix giveth and Chicago Mix taketh away.