**Max Sparber:** All right, popcorn ahoy.
**Jacob Aloi:** Despite being in Chicago, I couldn’t get my hands on Chicago Mix. But I think that’s okay since it’s not really from Chicago, right?
**Sparber:** The origin of the concept isn’t clear—mixed popcorns have been around for ages. But you’re right: the name is a Minnesota creation. Specifically, it’s from Candyland in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Stillwater. Garrett Popcorn in Chicago also calls their mix Chicago Mix, which led to a lawsuit from Candyland.
**Aloi:** Chicago Mix does sound catchier than “Twin Cities Mix.” Sorry, MSP metropolitan area.
**Sparber:** That’s exactly what Candyland was going for. Chicago Mix just sounds like a popcorn you’d want to eat.
Let’s describe it.
**Aloi:** Candyland’s Chicago Mix is a blend of cheese popcorn, caramel popcorn, and what’s described as “seasoned” popcorn.
**Sparber:** The cheese is cheddar powder, and for those worried about the seasoning, it’s just popcorn oil and salt. I’ve had mixed popcorn with hot pepper seasoning before, but this isn’t that.
**Aloi:** Salt is indeed a seasoning—good marketing!
**Sparber:** No lies here!
**Aloi:** I appreciate how the mix balances savory and sweet, with an extra kick of sodium from the “seasoned” popcorn.
**Sparber:** Yeah, it’s a staple in my house. I eat a lot of it, my girlfriend eats a lot of it, and our dog demands as much as he can get.
**Aloi:** Do you have it all year round? I always thought of it as a winter treat until I started working at MPR, where it’s the go-to meeting snack.
**Sparber:** I pick it up whenever I pass by Candyland. Since I live near downtown Minneapolis and there’s a Candyland a few blocks from our St. Paul office, that’s quite often. I also buy the grocery store knockoffs, which have their merits but usually lack the seasoned popcorn, so they’re a real clash of sweet and savory.
**Aloi:** Yeah, you need the original to balance the flavors.
**Sparber:** I agree. Despite its name, the Candyland version feels very Minnesotan. There’s something about subtly hiding your Minnesota roots—like Prince telling Matt Damon 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 heart, Matt Damon. Actually, it’s more like Vince Vaughn. He was born in Minneapolis but insists he’s a Chicagoan, where he was raised.
**Aloi:** Well, whatever it is, Candyland has definitely earned the title of definitive Chicago Mix supplier.
**Sparber:** By law!
It’s strange that everyone went crazy for the Jucy Lucy a few years ago, yet Chicago Mix doesn’t seem to have the same local food cache.
**Aloi:** It’s all about name recognition. The confusing title makes it marketable and keeps it from being a hometown hero.
**Sparber:** Yeah, if the Jucy Lucy had been named the Santa Fe Lucy, none of us would be talking about it.
Chicago Mix giveth and Chicago Mix taketh away.