You’ve eaten it at fairs, carnivals, and markets. You can smell it from a mile away. But where did kettle corn come from?
It’s often disputed whether kettle corn originated in the 17th or 18th century - and if the sweet snack first came from German or Dutch roots. It is believed that 18th century farmers created the recipe in their cast iron pots (coated with pork fat) over an open fire. They often added sugar, honey, or molasses to sweeten it, creating the sweet kettle corn taste we love today.
How Did Kettle Corn Come to America?
Regardless of which culture created it first, we do know that kettle corn arrived in the Colonial United States in the late 1770s. Kettle corn arrived in America with the immigration of Europeans in the 18th century. The first time we see evidence of the delicious snack is on the pages of diaries of Dutch Pennsylvania settlers.
Not unlike today, historically it was a popular treat found at festivities like fairs and cultural celebrations.
Kettle Corn Grows in Popularity
After the European migration to the United States, we see other areas of society where kettle corn became popular. Cowboys in the Wild West began creating kettle corn with molasses and honey. Additionally, by the time of the Civil War in 1861, soliders were commonly eating the sweet snack. Because of this, you can often find kettle corn at Civil War historical sites. 
Why Opopop Made Kettle Corn
As pocorn lovers, we’ve created and tried some strange (but amazing combinations). Though we love variety and experimentation with our flavors, sometimes theres nothing better than a delicious classic. In classic Opopop fashion, though, we added a little vanilla to put our own twist on this fair favorite. For a limited time, make a purchase on our website and receive a free sachet of our limited edition Vanilla Kettle to try!