I don’t have anything against popcorn. I don’t, really. Except maybe when those tiny little curved pieces flake off and cement themselves to your uvula—and then you need to hack and cough and spit them loose, like an emphysemic camel. That’s pretty annoying. But Women’s Day posted a list of movie concessions from around the world (do I need to mention here that I don’t make a habit of reading Women’s Day but that I followed a link from this place?) and some of them, well, kick popcorn in its butter-drenched kernel.
Take a look:
Japan: Iwashi Senbei (these are sardine rice crackers)
Korea: Dried Cuttlefish (these are… um, dried cuttlefish)
Russia: Beluga Caviar (for the richies)
India: Samosas (potato pastries), Chaat and Vada Pav
Barbados: Fish cakes
Lithuania: Kvas (a fermented bread drink, sounds nasty)
Greece: Souvlaki
Norway: Dried Reindeer Meet
I’m not advocating that movie theaters start selling dried cuttlefish at the concession booth, but samosas! That would be an ideal movie theater food. Or dried reindeer meat—hell, any kind of dried meat (except cuttlefish) is a portable, easy-to-eat treat. If an enterprising movie theater started serving the salmon jerky from Josephson’s in Astoria, I would buy pounds of it before every movie.
We’ve got a really good thing going with the beer situation at Portland theaters—it puts us far ahead of most places in the country. And, cost-prohibitive theaters with a full menu like Living Room Theaters aside, there are plenty of theaters that offer pizza, too. But pizza, usually prepared elsewhere and then brought into the theater, is not really not a huge step above the junk like the iffy hot dogs and day-glo nachos you can get at the multiplex. I think there’s still ample room for more filling, savory, meal-type options at the theater—who among us hasn’t made a dinner out of movie-theater popcorn and sorely regretted it the next day? There are tons of easy-to-prepare dishes—samosas!—that could work behind almost any theater counter. Fresh salsa! Waffles! Veggie white-bean chili! Actual, fresh sandwiches! Sushi, theoretically! Tamales!
If hundreds of cooks can ply their trade in the tiny confines of a food cart, what’s possible in a movie theater concession stand? What would you ideally like to eat at the movies? What do you already smuggle in?
What’s wrong with dried cuttlefish?
I bring in some crackers or cur up apples and a couple of those little laughing cow cheeses.
At the Sundance kabuki Theater in San Francisco they make awesome salads with blackened salmon and other stuff. Plus HAND SQUEEZED margaritas.
HAND SQUEEZED.
I always thought wasabi peas would be a good alternative.
Laughing Cow cheese is delicious, I haven’t had that in forever.
Chips and Salsa. Good, home-made, warm chips and fresh salsa. I wouldn’t stop eating. Followed by Haribo gummi bears.
A fruit/bread/cheese/cured meat plate would be a huge hit. I’d snarf.
Chia seeds, yep, you guessed it, from the very same Chia Plant that makes Chia Pets. Surprisingly tasty and All Omega-3’d up.
Chips might be too loud…
Been listening to SWEET CHARITY again, eh? I have it on heavy rotation too.
How about pita?
And hummus?
Another vote for wasabi peas. Dried fruit of any kind would be great. Nuts would also be excellent, though the shells would get everywhere.
Finger food like chips-and-dip, nachos, or hummus plates would be ideal.
And there’s nothing wrong with dried cuttlefish.
Hummus + pita is NOT a creative solution to this problem, or any snacking problem, ever.
Then again my home movie snacking is usually tortilla + least-revolting combo from any open condiment jars, so, whatever. I wish movie theaters had more popcorn topping options. Different spice combos and some hot sauce, maybe. And I want that shit at the source, so I don’t have to keep re-upping mid movie.
Seconded on dried fruit, thirded on wasabi peas or wasabi anythings.
Yeah, I can’t really go back to movie popcorn without complimentary cheese powder (look, it was Wisconsin).
I like to smuggle in those Trader Joe’s sushi boxes.
Kvas is actually a fermented BEET drink.
I think I’ll stick with popcorn anyway.
Edamame, served warm with salt. And it’s quiet to eat, too.
At home when I’m alone I like to crack sunflower seeds, but I imagine I’d end up getting shot eating these in a movie theatre with others.
@Beer Batter (#12): Kvass is a feremented bread drink with an alcohol content of typically less than 1%. Sometimes flavored with herbs or fruit. You can buy commercial versions, but homemade is better.
Living Room is cost-prohibitve???? Have you ever been there on a Monday or Tuesday? It’s only $5.00 and their lunch specials are only $6.00 with a drink. That’s better than a food cart.
I want some Iwshi Senbei.
I’ve smuggled in Teriyaki chicken/rice/salad. It’s not unnoticeable tho, it smells YUMMY.
@ krazy, I guess you’re right. But there is a Beet Kvass too. I guess it was the only kvass I’d heard about until now.