My latest review includes a snack food that most of us enjoy, popcorn. I am not referring to just any popcorn, but delectable cheddar cheese popcorn. There are a few common labels out there that sell white cheddar popcorn such as Smartfood, Skinnypop, and Utz. Then there is also the Aldi version under the label of Clancy’s White Cheddar Cheese Popcorn. Popcorn really hits the spot when craving a light snack or desire something savory and salty to go with a cold beverage and a movie. When time is of no concern, I prefer to pop my own popcorn over the stove top to enjoy the sounds of the kernels going crazy in the hot oil. While that is the preferred route for tasty popcorn; there are times when you crave the simplicity of already prepared popcorn purchased from the store. I do enjoy the Smartfood brand and find it convenient to have a bag on standby for a quick salty snack. Being a frequent Aldi shopper, I thought it would be great to try the Clancy’s brand out.
Packaging
The white
cheddar popcorn by Clancy’s is sold in a large black bag with a yellow square
in the middle and band of white at the top. The labeling is pretty darn close
to the labeling and colors used by the Smartfood packaging. Coincidence? I
think not. The total weight of a package of popcorn is eight and a half ounces.
Upon opening the package, the popped popcorn is about two thirds full to the
top.
Price
The cost
of this decent size bag of popcorn is $2.99 (as of February 2024). The
neighboring Smartfood at Meijer runs $4.49.
Convenience
Pre-popped
package popcorn is the bees knees. This popcorn is ready set and go once you
open the bag. When I tried this popcorn, I just opened the bag and poured some
in a small plastic cup and munched away. Be prepared to have a bag clip though
because the large package of popcorn is not resealable (no zip lock). The other
convenient trait of Clancy’s popcorn is it is a relatively low-calorie snack at
150 calories for two and a half cups serving.
Taste/Texture
The popcorn
has a fair amount of salt and cheddar dust on each popped kernel casting an off
white or yellow hue. The taste does not come off too salty nor too cheesy. One needs
a napkin or paper towel to wipe your hands as the cheese dust is just enough to
make a slight mess. Overall, this popcorn has a tasty finish and does not come
off with a generic feel whatsoever. The texture of this snack does not have the
same crunchy bite as freshly popped popcorn, but it was fine for a store-bought
popcorn and mirrored the Smartfood quality. The unfortunate part of this
popcorn quality was the last cup or two of popcorn found at the bottom of the
bag was ground up into tiny unusable pieces too small to pick up. Not sure if the
ground up pieces were a result of this product getting moved several times or
if these tiny pieces were a result of processing.
Overall
Result
While Clancy’s
White Cheddar popcorn has higher calorie, higher sodium and fat compared to the
plain or salted varieties, this popcorn truly stands up to the competition for
flavor. The Aldi label cheddar popcorn is as good if not better than the Smartfood
label at a much lower price. I would love it if Clancy’s would also sell the
smaller snack size bags like the common labels do. Overall, I rate the Aldi
White Cheddar popcorn a strong buy.
