NC-based brand launches BBQ popcorn for summer

RALEIGH, N.C. — Asheville-based Poppy Hand-Crafted Popcorn is taking its love of barbecue to a new level with a series of fun flavors for summer.

Poppy has released its Summer BBQ Series featuring four flavors celebrating regional barbecue styles, including Carolina BBQ.

Tangy Carolina Barbecue - Described as "a tribute to our home state’s vinegar-based barbecue sauce. Tangy, smoky popcorn with a subtly sweet finish." This flavor has a nice smoky aroma with a kick of that pork BBQ flavor without actually containing any meat. It has "Vegan Beef Flavoring" that really helps create the illusion that you are tasting some pork barbecue.

Smoky Texas Barbecue - Poppy describes this one as "smoky, spice-rubbed popcorn with a hint of molasses. Close your eyes and you can almost taste the brisket." The "Vegan Beef Flavoring" is back and combined with the spices, you do get a hint of brisket in there. The smokiness is stronger in this one. You'll taste the molasses, but it isn't sweet.

Spicy Kansas City Barbecue - This one is described as sweet, savory and spicy. "It’s what barbecue dreams are made of. With hickory smoke and cayenne, this spice-rubbed popcorn starts sweet and ends with a kick," Poppy writes. This one has some heat thanks to the blend of cayenne powder and black pepper, but the hickory smoke powder and smoked paprika give it a rich smoky flavor.

Sweet Honey Barbecue - This flavor was brought back by popular demand. Poppy describes it as a "perfect blend of smoky spices and sweet honey. Add that to fluffy, crunchy kernels and you’ve got a perfectly caramelized barbecue taste." They are right! You get a great blend of sweet and savory with each bite. It's also the only BBQ flavor to not have vegan been flavoring in it, so you don't taste even a hint of meat, just all spices.

Our favorite flavor: It is a tie between Carolina BBQ and Sweet Honey BBQ. If you are craving that tangy vinegar-based pork barbecue, then you have to try the Carolina BBQ popcorn. If you are craving something sweeter, the Sweet Honey BBQ is a great blend of sweet and spicy.

Poppy's Summer BBQ Series popcorn is gluten-free. They retail for $10.50 and you can buy them online or at Whole Foods, Little Details, NoFo at the Pig, Deco and Bailey's Fine Jewelry,