# non american dopers do you butter your popcorn? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 25, 2019, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-american-dopers-do-you-butter-your-popcorn/830158 "2019-02-25T04:20:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-american-dopers-do-you-butter-your-popcorn/830158/1 "2019-02-25T04:20:57Z")
in a recent article I read it said Europe and other places found buttered popcorn to be a weird American extravagance what say our non us dopers? heres the article [Americans' popcorn habit is bothering everyone in the world](https://www.today.com/food/americans-popcorn-habit-bothering-everyone-world-t149300) ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-american-dopers-do-you-butter-your-popcorn/830158/2 "2019-02-25T04:22:34Z")
H’m. It’s not buttered in my local Australian theater. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-american-dopers-do-you-butter-your-popcorn/830158/3 "2019-02-25T04:23:14Z")
Buttered popcorn is very popular here in Panama. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-american-dopers-do-you-butter-your-popcorn/830158/4 "2019-02-25T04:37:02Z")
We don’t dip lobsters in butter either. Food doesn’t have to be a butter delivery system. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-american-dopers-do-you-butter-your-popcorn/830158/5 "2019-02-25T05:05:48Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > We don’t dip lobsters in butter either. Food doesn’t have to be a butter delivery system. Who is “we”? ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-american-dopers-do-you-butter-your-popcorn/830158/6 "2019-02-25T05:41:34Z")
> [@galen\_ubal](#): > > H’m. > It’s not buttered in my local Australian theater. Nor mine in a different part of Australia. For my own reference how is popcorn buttered? Is it placed as a yellow cube on top and then melts with the heat? Or … Is it delivered melted? Wont it congeal shortly afterwards? Or … Is it added to the corn before it is popped? I realise I’m airing a cultural prejudice founded on ignorance, but none of these sound in the least appetising. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-american-dopers-do-you-butter-your-popcorn/830158/7 "2019-02-25T05:43:07Z")
Sorry, I realised too late that I should have prefaced my remarks with ‘I’m not racist about butter, but …’ ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-american-dopers-do-you-butter-your-popcorn/830158/8 "2019-02-25T05:45:30Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > Nor mine in a different part of Australia. > > For my own reference how is popcorn buttered? > > Is it placed as a yellow cube on top and then melts with the heat? Or … > > Is it delivered melted? Wont it congeal shortly afterwards? Or … > > Is it added to the corn before it is popped? > > I realise I’m airing a cultural prejudice founded on ignorance, but none of these sound in the least appetising. Melted, then drizzled over the bowl of freshly popped popcorn. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-american-dopers-do-you-butter-your-popcorn/830158/9 "2019-02-25T06:00:49Z")
Growing up in Canada, I thought having melted butter on popcorn was perfectly natural, but gradually the experience of having a soggy top layer of popcorn lost its appeal to me. Movie theatre popcorn is already a yellowish colour from some kind of fake buttery flavouring, so I have no interest in paying an extra dollar for the sogginess. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-american-dopers-do-you-butter-your-popcorn/830158/10 "2019-02-25T06:02:47Z")
I’ll add to the question: Do non-Americans salt popcorn? If not, doesn’t it taste about as boring as styrofoam? If so, how do you get the salt to stick and not sift to the bottom of the bowl without butter? ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-american-dopers-do-you-butter-your-popcorn/830158/11 "2019-02-25T06:44:22Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > Sorry, I realised too late that I should have prefaced my remarks with ‘I’m not racist about butter, but …’ I am completely and unashamedly butterist. My kids will butter their popcorn (via the ‘stick knobs of butter on the hot corn after it is popped’ method). I consider this to be just a tiny bit of a vile abomination. Then they’ll put sugar and cinnamon on top - about which, the less said the better. I will concede though, that butter is the correct accompaniment for the other sort of corn (on the cob). So maaaaaybe if your popcorn was air-popped, a bit of butter on top could make up for the oil that’s been skipped in the cooking process. Salt is a necessity. Popcorn without salt is like chips without salt - not to be thought of. ETA: The salt sticks to the oil the popcorn is popped in. We have done experiments with actually substituting oil with butter for cooking. Not good. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-american-dopers-do-you-butter-your-popcorn/830158/12 "2019-02-25T08:12:51Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > Salt is a necessity. Popcorn without salt is like chips without salt - not to be thought of. > > ETA: The salt sticks to the oil the popcorn is popped in. We have done experiments with actually substituting oil with butter for cooking. Not good. I use oil to pop the corn in, and the salt doesn’t stick. I’ve always thought it was because the white part was actually the inside of the oil-coated kernel. Now I’m wondering what I’m doing wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-american-dopers-do-you-butter-your-popcorn/830158/13 "2019-02-25T09:11:07Z")
Butter on popcorn is no weirder than, say, mayonnaise on your fries/chips, or malt vinegar, or any of another of other condiments people put on food. If it’s part of your culture it’s normal. If it’s not, it’s weird. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-american-dopers-do-you-butter-your-popcorn/830158/14 "2019-02-25T09:11:34Z")
well I know these days most us movie theaters use a margarine based “sauce” akin to the squeezable butter you see in stores its just warmed up a bit …… ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-american-dopers-do-you-butter-your-popcorn/830158/15 "2019-02-25T10:23:11Z")
This can’t pop it in butter, but you can pop it in them or clarified butter. And that’s delicious. I often use goose far, which is also really good. ---
**Author:** ![Art\_Rock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/art_rock/32/525_2.png) [@Art\_Rock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Art_Rock)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-american-dopers-do-you-butter-your-popcorn/830158/16 "2019-02-25T10:30:54Z")
In the Netherlands we hardly ever eat popcorn to begin with. At least not in my circles. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-american-dopers-do-you-butter-your-popcorn/830158/17 "2019-02-25T12:03:28Z")
I’m an American Doper and I don’t butter my popcorn. Salt and parmesan cheese…mmmm. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-american-dopers-do-you-butter-your-popcorn/830158/18 "2019-02-25T12:09:48Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > Growing up in Canada, I thought having melted butter on popcorn was perfectly natural, but gradually the experience of having a soggy top layer of popcorn lost its appeal to me. Movie theatre popcorn is already a yellowish colour from some kind of fake buttery flavouring, so I have no interest in paying an extra dollar for the sogginess. You need to visit better movie theatres, then. Your profile says you’re in Toronto; have you been to the Bloor Cinema? They always put real butter on their popcorn back when I was living in Toronto. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-american-dopers-do-you-butter-your-popcorn/830158/19 "2019-02-25T12:11:00Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > I’ll add to the question: Do non-Americans salt popcorn? If not, doesn’t it taste about as boring as styrofoam? If so, how do you get the salt to stick and not sift to the bottom of the bowl without butter? British view. Popcorn is a clear American import, generally only ever eaten at the cinema or perhaps in bowls at house parties, so I have always presumed we eat it the US way. Maybe not. Popcorn at the cinema is normally available in a choice of salty or sweet. I have no idea if it’s buttered or not - maybe the salty version is, but it’s not dripping in butter or anything. The salt does stick though, so I presume it is You can also buy it premade in bags from the supermarket - I never do, because it tastes like polystyrene. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-american-dopers-do-you-butter-your-popcorn/830158/20 "2019-02-25T12:14:53Z")
No butter (not even the cheap oily substitute) on popcorn in German movie theatres, I’m afraid. You’ve got the choice between dry salty popcorn or dry sweet (i.e., lightly sugared) popcorn. I once tried bringing in my own melted butter in a thermos, but for some reason that didn’t end up tasting very good. (Maybe you need to apply the butter immediately after it melts?) I was in Tallinn last year and was very pleased to discover that the movie theatre popcorn there has butter (or at least, some inferior but acceptable liquid topping) and a topping bar with lots of flavoured powders in shakers (cheese, barbecue, sour cream, etc.). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-american-dopers-do-you-butter-your-popcorn/830158.md?page=2)