If you, like me, take popcorn very seriously, you simply must try Anson Mills’ popcorn. It is the first popcorn I’ve tasted that truly tastes like-- get this-- corn! It’s subtly sweet and toasty and nuanced in ways that I’ve never tasted from the popped stuff. Rancho Gordo popcorn is also tasty and a very dramatic color, but Anson Mills is on another level. As for popping, you can’t go wrong with the absolute game changer that is a Whirley Pop. Despite its goofy name and the annoying amount of cupboard space it occupies, it makes perfect popcorn. Every. Single. Time. No burnt pieces, no kernel left unpopped. And when they’re the best kernels you won’t want to waste any. From there, I adorn mine with a copious amount of salt, olive oil, and nutritional yeast or fresh parm. If it’s the fake butter you’re craving, may I suggest Butter Buds™? They’re little butter-flavored granules I first had in grade school popcorn parties, and have loved for their unabashed artificiality ever since.