Popcorn for Grownups
Charlene Li likes to say she enjoys the finer things in life, so it’s no surprise she met her husband, Vince Li, during a wine-tasting class. That relationship budded into something bigger, and now, the couple is not only drinking their wine, but eating it, too.
The Lis are founders of Eatable, a gourmet alcohol-infused popcorn company currently producing five snacking varieties inspired by local wines, spirits and cocktails — including Poppin’ PB&J Merlot, Whisky on the Pops and Pop the Champagne.
Frustrated by the lack of clean snacks and the guilt they felt eating artificial ingredients and flavours, the Lis had an idea.
“We went on a journey to combine our two loves… snacking and alcohol,” Charlene says, adding that Eatable popcorn is made with 100-per-cent natural ingredients.
As for the name? Charlene has her mom to thank for that.
“My mom would cook beautiful homemade dinners for us, and in her Chinese-Canadian accent, she’d always ask us: ‘Is this eatable?’ instead of edible,” she explains. “That word stuck as part of our vocabulary, and we thought it fitting to use because we’re transforming drinks into a form you can eat.”
The Lis use non-GMO corn kernels from Ontario farms and butter from local dairy farmers to make their popcorn. They've also worked with local wineries, such as Konzelmann Estates, to experiment with new flavours. “We believe in the power of local businesses supporting each other and we try to align ourselves with others who also believe in the shop-local movement,” she says.
The taste and texture of Eatable popcorn might take you back to your childhood and those big plastic bags of caramel corn you’d beg your parents to buy at the local fall fair. Devoured entirely in one sitting, they would leave every crevice of your hand sticky and sweet. But with grown-up flavours and slick packaging, the popcorn is a fitting snack to bring out at the fanciest of parties or give as host gift.
Charlene, whose background is in commerce and finance, spent more than a year developing their first few recipes and enlisted the help of Paris-trained pastry chefs to perfect the caramels. Similar to the process used to make that childhood caramel corn, the team melts cane sugar and butter for the coating, then infuses it with wine or spirits.
“Candy-making is truly an art mixed with exact science, where even the smallest variable changes — such as heat or volume of liquid — have the power to ruin a batch if not done just right,” she says.
Most of the alcohol evaporates, leaving only the flavour notes, some of which are quite dominant, such as the peaty notes of Islay scotch for the whisky variety. The kettle-popped butterfly kernels are coated in the alcohol-infused caramel and baked twice in the oven. The method creates what Charlene describes as the “perfect satisfying crunch.”
“We want people to talk about our popcorn flavours in the same way they would when tasting wines or spirits,” she says.
The most popular flavour to date has been Pop the Champagne!, which features white chocolate and sugar crystals that pop in your mouth as you eat them. (Remember Pop Rocks, anyone?)
The Lis are currently expanding their production space in Vaughan, which will allow them to produce 10 times more product and expand their reach across the country. And, all while they will continue to drink and snack — in the name of research, of course.
Eatable Popcorn
eatable.com | @eatableinc
