A Most Dangerous Snack: Chicago Mix

A Most Dangerous Snack: Chicago Mix

About twenty years ago, my father announced to the family that he did not wish to receive any gifts he could not eat. I believed that to be a very wise position.

So recently, for his 89th birthday, I sent him a can of “Chicago Mix,” a blend of caramel and cheese popcorn. It seemed like something he’d like, and it turned out he loved the stuff. Raved about it. I was getting reports from other family members that he had told them how much he loved it and how much enjoyment it gave hime.

Based on those reports, I felt I had to send him some more Chicago Mix. At that point, I figured I should try some, too.

After a Friday afternoon workout at FFC, I stopped by Wells St. Popcorn on Lake Street and bought a medium-sized bag of Chicago Mix (I believe this snack was invented at Garrett's, with whom Well St. Popcorn is obviously competing).



My will power is usually sufficient to protect me from too many sugary treats -- pastry is of little interest to me, and ice cream and such concotions are nice but entirely avoidable. This Chicago Mix, however, was just too good, too painfully seductive to resist. On that Friday evening, I was scheduled to go to a big dinner, but I couldn’t help slamming the sweet and savory corn into my apparently insatiable maw. The crisp sweetness of the caramel corn, the softer, cheesier finish of the cheese corn, the variations in texture and the savory combination of the two flavors was excellent. I stuffed myself on Chicago Mix and then had trouble finishing dinner.

Actually, this treat made me a little crazy. I’d have a mouthful of mostly caramel corn and think, “I really like the caramel corn best. Or do I? I better try more of the cheese corn…” And so on and so on.

Postscript: I wrote this post on Saturday morning, two hours before I was to judge Baconfest at UIC. At the time, I was stuffing myself with Chicago Mix. Help.

There are some treats that you just have to throw yourself into. Just give up on any notion of moderation, because you won't manage it, and will just feel guilty. The Chicago Mix is definitely in that category. I rarely buy it, but when I do, I do so with the knowledge that every last crumb will be eaten, and plan accordingly.

So now you know. Don't make the same mistake twice.

I can't believe you are this late to the party, this food is crack! Those aren't just tourists standing in Line at Garrett's you know.

Luckily, there's a Garrett's across the street from the Daley Center, and whenever I'm low on time and need a host gift or potluck contribution, the Chicago Mix never fail, oh try it with Macadamia Nuts.

Costco occasionally offers samples of this stuff. I will usually make an extra circuit of the store for a second little cup. Dangerous indeed... But so far I have resisted purchasing, knowing that it wouldn't last an hour once opened.

I love this stuff and was eating it for years. My office was a block away from the place on state st. and then one opened in the ogilvie station. dangerous for me because I could buy a small bag and eat the whole thing myself. the dangerous thing for me was I did that and ended up in the hospital for three days with a diverticulitis attack. Sadly no more chicago mix for me and I do not eat popcorn anymore. I can smell it or maybe lick the caramel and cheese dust. but for those who can eat it, enjoy.

Don't know how long Garrett's has been doing this in Chicago but I've been buying a mix of cheese and caramel popcorn from Del's Popcorn Shop in Decatur since moving here in 1985. It's not called Chicago Mix down here, though.

Really good stuff!

Davooda

My estimate is that Garret's has been selling this since the 1940's when they opened, although calling it Chicago Mix is a relatively recent thing.

I buy it at either airport, Garrett's or Nuts on Clark when visiting family. I don't even think of coming empty handed. I once took a 7:20am flight, and they opened at 7. Close call but, I made it..

I appreciate Chicago Mix as iconic but loathe it personally - fake-tasting (to me) cheddar cheese flavor and sugary caramel have no place together on my palate. Separately, fine. Somehow brie with jam, gorgonzola with candied walnuts, cheesecake, etc. are all fine, but cheddar and caramel together make my skin crawl like a McGriddle with cheese.

Santander wrote:I appreciate Chicago Mix as iconic but loathe it personally - fake-tasting (to me) cheddar cheese flavor and sugary caramel have no place together on my palate. Separately, fine. Somehow brie with jam, gorgonzola with candied walnuts, cheesecake, etc. are all fine, but cheddar and caramel together make my skin crawl like a McGriddle with cheese.

I'm a bad person because when I encounter a bag, I always cherrypick the cheese corn and leave the caramel corn behind. Like you, I really don't like these flavors together.

=R=

Hi,

There is a Garrett's in or near the Ogilvie Transportation Center. I have not seen it or walked through their door. I don't have to, because my Dad brings Garrett's home whenever he's downtown.

Dad recently came back with their Pecan Caramel Crisp. Like a squirrel, he kept it hidden and didn't offer any. Yet, I could hear across the room his hand rustling through the bag and the telltale crunch. He had his earphones on involved in a web seminar when my hand reached into the Garrett's bag. He just about jumped to the ceiling by my surprise appearance. Once the secret stash was known, he shared.

Louisa Chu took a number of containers of the Chicago Mix as gifts on her trip to Japan. I had the impression they were hit wherever she went.

Regards,

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Santander wrote:I appreciate Chicago Mix as iconic but loathe it personally - fake-tasting (to me) cheddar cheese flavor and sugary caramel have no place together on my palate. Separately, fine. Somehow brie with jam, gorgonzola with candied walnuts, cheesecake, etc. are all fine, but cheddar and caramel together make my skin crawl like a McGriddle with cheese.

I'm a bad person because when I encounter a bag, I always cherrypick the cheese corn and leave the caramel corn behind. Like you, I really don't like these flavors together.

=R=

And you people call yourselves Chicagoans. Harumph. Next thing you know, youll put ketchup on your hot dogs.

Suzy Creamcheese wrote:There are some treats that you just have to throw yourself into. Just give up on any notion of moderation, because you won't manage it, and will just feel guilty. The Chicago Mix is definitely in that category. I rarely buy it, but when I do, I do so with the knowledge that every last crumb will be eaten, and plan accordingly.

Perfect discription. I only allow myself Chicago Mix once a year (unless it makes an appearance in the office or at a party), usually while doing some form of Christmas shopping downtown. My fingers are orange for hours.

Santander wrote:I appreciate Chicago Mix as iconic but loathe it personally - fake-tasting (to me) cheddar cheese flavor and sugary caramel have no place together on my palate. Separately, fine. Somehow brie with jam, gorgonzola with candied walnuts, cheesecake, etc. are all fine, but cheddar and caramel together make my skin crawl like a McGriddle with cheese.

Same. And when I do have access to it, I'll do what Ronnie does and pick out the cheese popcorn and leave the caramel.

MMmmmm I love the sweet sticky caramel with that fake cheesey goodness. Of course I like cheetos too.

toria wrote:MMmmmm I love the sweet sticky caramel with that fake cheesey goodness. Of course I like cheetos too.

Ditto, but I order mine heavy on the cheese versus caramel.

David Hammond wrote:(I believe this snack was invented at Garrett's, with whom Well St. Popcorn is obviously competing).

Davooda wrote:Don't know how long Garrett's has been doing this in Chicago but I've been buying a mix of cheese and caramel popcorn from Del's Popcorn Shop in Decatur since moving here in 1985. It's not called Chicago Mix down here, though.

stevez wrote:My estimate is that Garret's has been selling this since the 1940's when they opened, although calling it Chicago Mix is a relatively recent thing.

I'd be somewhat surprised if Claude and Gladys Garrett, who opened their first popcorn shop on Madison near State in 1949, were the first to combine caramel and cheese popcorn. Even the history page on the Garrett Popcorn Shop website doesn't make that claim.

Popcorn has long been a favorite street snack in the Midwest and beyond. Caramel popcorn was already a big deal in 19th-century Chicago (the Cracker Jack brand was introduced here in 1896) and cheese-coated popcorn became popular in the 1930s (if not earlier). By that time small shops selling popcorn and other confections were common in Chicago and other cities. Del's Popcorn Shop, in Decatur since 1934, is a particularly well-preserved example. I don't know that they were mischievously mixing cheese and caramel back then but I'd be shocked if it didn't happen somewhere, sometime before Garrett's.

Del's Popcorn Shop, Decatur




I probably shouldn't admit it but I'm no fan of Garrett's (or other popcorn). Every now and then I'll take a small handful if offered but I've never been tempted to actually stop in a Garrett Popcorn Shop.

JoelF wrote:Costco occasionally offers samples of this stuff. I will usually make an extra circuit of the store for a second little cup. Dangerous indeed... But so far I have resisted purchasing, knowing that it wouldn't last an hour once opened.

Costco sells the bagged Cretors Chicago Mix.

http://www.ghcretors.com/chicago_mix/

spinynorman99 wrote:

JoelF wrote:Costco occasionally offers samples of this stuff. I will usually make an extra circuit of the store for a second little cup. Dangerous indeed... But so far I have resisted purchasing, knowing that it wouldn't last an hour once opened.

Costco sells the bagged Cretors Chicago Mix.

http://www.ghcretors.com/chicago_mix/

I find the G.H. Cretors product preferable to Garrett's (even when accounting for the freshness difference between a packaged product vs. something made that day) -- tastes a bit more "natural" (the cheese popcorn is certainly less radioactive orange in color, for what it's worth) and does not give me the same queasy feeling after knocking out a bit more than I should have. Costco sells both large bags (Chicago mix only, at least that I have seen) and 24-packs of individual size servings with a mix of cheese, Chicago mix and kettle corn (8 bags of each). My kids go through the "blue bags" (as they call the Chicago mix) incredibly fast and move on to the others only after they have killed the 8 bags of the Chicago mix.

David Hammond wrote:(I believe this snack was invented at Garrett's, with whom Well St. Popcorn is obviously competing).

After Garrett's acquired new owners and expanded to New York City a few years ago, they no longer called the cheese and caramel corn combo the "Chicago Mix," but just "The Mix." However, they seem to have reclaimed the name, perhaps due to competition. I don't know when they first started using it, but apparently nobody thought to trademark it.

Rene G wrote:I'd be somewhat surprised if Claude and Gladys Garrett, who opened their first popcorn shop on Madison near State in 1949, were the first to combine caramel and cheese popcorn. Even the history page on the Garrett Popcorn Shop website doesn't make that claim.

Yes, they do:

Garrett's wrote:When local fans asked for a mixture of sweet and salty, we created The Chicago Mix: a blend of our famous CaramelCrisp® and CheeseCorn™ recipes. It remains our most popular flavor and a consistent favorite throughout our entire fan base.

The Garretts actually started their first shop in Milwaukee in 1931, according to interviews Garrett VP Scott Schroeder gave soon after the Garrett family sold out in 2005. They relocated to Chicago in 1949.

Don't feel like no Lone Rangers, you Illinoiseans! Been popcorn in Kansas City since the 20s, and Topsy'shas been the major brand since the 40s. And please note that not only is caramel-cheddar available, it is available in several different *flavors*! How's 'bout that, eh?!



Geo

Hi,

Highland Park now has a gourmet popcorn shop. I had not been there, though my family has.

There was a program at the library today where the local variant of the Chicago Mix was served. I brought some home for the family. On first taste, my Dad immediately recognized it was the local production. I then learned it was somewhat a wasted effort, because he doesn't especially like it. A good product of the Depression, he finished what I brought anyway.

Regards,

Garrett Popcorn sued over Chicago Mix

Candyland Inc., a St. Paul, Minn.-based company, last month filed federal trademark infringement lawsuits against three companies, including the owner of Garrett Popcorn Shops, alleging that the three have wrongly branded their popcorn confections Chicago Mix.

The four-store Candyland chain received a trademark for Chicago Mix in September 1992, according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

=R=