Portlebay Popcorn Wasabi & Sweet Ginger

This scary-looking packet of popcorn was pounced on by noble friend when she went to Kenwood House in North London to see their lovely display of rhododendrons. Which was kind and thoughtful of her.

The reluctant taste testers and I looked at the packet in stunned amazement. What sort of a frightening taste would this popcorn have?

Pop sushi! says the packet. But it looks nothing like the bowl of sushi by Utagawa Hiroshige (I cropped his original a bit I'm afraid). After all... it is popcorn.

Actually this popcorn was nothing like as alarming as we thought. Some of it tasted of ginger, and some of wasabai (although more likely horseradish as most of the 'wasabi' in this country is in fact horseradish) with a good hit of heat. And some of it a bit plainer in taste.

I've had Portlebay Popcorn before. I found their Crispy Bacon & Maple Syrup in East Finchley and loved it so much I ate a whole packet all by myself. But I'm not sure if I would have bought this flavour.

Another lesson in not judging a book (or indeed a packet of popcorn) by its cover.

Much to our surprise we rather liked this popcorn. And despite there not being very many people in the office we finished this (smartly designed) packet without any trouble.

So give it a go. Because I find this is the crispy snack flavour du jour.

And here are some of the rhododendrons at Kenwood. They really are looking fantastic this year and as we visited after work, and on a day when the weather was slightly dodgy, there was hardly anyone there. Very nice to see the gardens looking lovely and with almost no other visitors. Except other people photographing the rhododendrons. Like us.