Movie Munchies

My favorite movie theater snack is popcorn (but only if it’s freshly popped and not dripping with fake butter), while Lynn likes a small corn with nutritional yeast and half a small Coke, and Blake liked half apple juice and half Sprite so much that we started calling it a Blake. I’ve seen people sprinkle Milk Duds or M&Ms into their popcorn, some people like all sorts of pop mixtures, and everyone has their own favorite candy (mine changes with my mood–sometimes it’s Raisinettes, sometimes it’s Sour Patch Kids, sometimes it’s Red Vines, sometimes it’s something else entirely).

And that’s just at The Clyde. Around the country, many chains have added nacho bars, ice cream treats, slushies, hot dogs, and all sorts of other (undoubtedly delicious) snacks that have to be absolute murder to clean up after. And some theatres are even getting into full-service menus with full bars to go with it… imagine trying to fit that into our little snack bar. But what do people eat at the movies around the world? A whole lot of popcorn, pop, and candy, but also some pretty unique alternatives.

 

Tostilocos, Mexico: Corn chips (or Doritos) with jicama, cucumber, fried pork skin, lime juice, and hot sauce.

Salted Dried Plums, China: Dried, pickled, and liberally salted to get the right umami taste.

Beluga Caviar, Russia: Only in VIP sections, so this is more like the Kobe beef burger you might find at an upscale dinner-and-a-movie theatre than popcorn.

Dried Sardines, Japan: Whole and intact, complete with skeletons, often cooked with sugar for a savory-sweet taste.

Calimocho, Spain: A mixture of Coca-Cola and red wine.

Roasted Ants, Colombia: Roasted up and spicy as can be, these popcorn substitutes are certainly high in protein.

Salted Licorice, The Netherlands: Rather than being a sweetened like in the United States, the Dutch like their black licorice salty.

Fish Cakes, Barbados: Often served alongside local favorite Banks Beer, these battered cakes are made of cod or flying fish.

Curry Fish Balls, Hong Kong: More fish, this time, spicy, deep-fried, and served on a stick.

Souvlaki, Greece: More from the on-a-stick side of things, this favored street food (lamb or beef and onions skewered and roasted) is also theatre food.

Samosas, India: Fried dough stuffed with potatoes, peas, and spices, these tasty treats are definitely finger food.

Falafel-flavored Chips, Israel: Okay, so there are lots of flavors of chips popular at cinemas in Israel, but falafel-flavored was certainly the most interesting.

Dried Cuttlefish, South Korea: Dried like jerky, it’s a little meatier than squid, but still savory, and stands in for popcorn.

Chicken Legs & Bean Curd, Taiwan: Often bought from vending machines. Yes, vending machines.

Dried Reindeer, Norway: Another jerky, this one a little more familiar to a US audience, it’s low-fat and high-protein.

So how many of those would you try? What’s your go-to movie treat, at The Clyde or elsewhere?