Bad Monkey – Jalapeno Cheddar Popcorn
It’s been a hot minute since I’ve dabbled in a big bag of Bad Monkey popcorn. Popcorn is one of those snacks that I go through in waves – sometimes I really crave it and end up going through four or five bags consecutively before I feel sated, other times I go for months without having any.
Similar to most of the flavours Bad Monkey offers, these are dairy free, vegan, and a good source of fiber. At this point I’ve had a lot of non-dairy cheese based popcorn flavours, but my first foray was actually with the Nacho Cheese flavour from Bad Monkey and it set me down a path of trying all the dairy-free cheese flavours I could find.
Very similar to the nacho cheese, except these have a noticeable kick to them. It’s not what I personally consider to be all that spicy, but enough heat to keep a constant reminder that this is more than just cheese. The jalapeno flavour is present but plays well with the cheddar so that it’s an even partnership. The spice lingers on the tongue but it doesn’t seem to advance very far, as much as I seem to scarf down. I will say that the seasoning is pretty ample, and is a tad on the saltier side. Having said that, these are still pretty tasty and fulfill what I expect from any decent jalapeno cheddar flavour. It’s also still kind of surprising it does it so well while having no actual dairy. Science is amazing, amirite?
The texture of these is not particularly different from past Bad Monkey releases – it’s got a good balance of size, surface area ratio and mouth feel. All that is a fancy way to say these are nice and round and have what you like in good quality popcorn – airy without feeling too light, and just enough give that when you chew on it you feel like you’re eating something and not biting into Styrofoam. I always find my mind going back to the founders mentioning using a specific type of kernel known as mushroom.
Another great release by Bad Monkey, and I can say these are good enough I would get them again. I might try and shake my bag before opening next time though, since the seasoning was a bit much for me. Other than that, overall another great flavour and a nice option if I want a flavour that kicks me in the mouth.
