I Tried Popped Water Lily Seeds—and Sorry Popcorn, You’ve Been Replaced!
I recently had the pleasure of attending FounderMade, a massive convention showcasing some of the most innovative new products in wellness, beauty and food.
With hundreds of brands on hand to put their latest and greatest items on display, I tried everything from makeup to moisturizer to an armpit facial (yes, you read that correctly)—and sipped everything from fresh coconut water and handmade tea to out-of-this-world coffee. I even got to take a photo and put it on a cookie!
But one of the brands that especially drew my interest was Ashapops, a collection of popped superfood snacks, made from lily seeds and derived from ancient Indian dietary code, Ayurveda. I met Jai, co-owner of the superfood snack, who teamed up on the creation with his mom Asha. Jai was kind enough to send over a sampling of each of the company's four flavors!
The Products
Each of the four flavors (Tumeric, Vegan Cheese, Bombay Pepper Masala and Dark Chocolate) is only 100 calories per serving (equivalent to one full bag), except the Dark Chocolate, which is 80 calories a serving (1.5 servings per bag).
The flavorful snacks, which are paleo, vegan and sugar-free (except for the Dark Chocolate) are a solid source of magnesium and Vitamin B variations, thanks to the water lily seeds.
The products, handmade in Los Angeles, are sold mostly in sets of four, either by individual flavor or variety packs. The packs start at $21.99, and the popped seeds have a resemblance to popcorn.
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The Experience
Let me begin by saying while I do very much enjoy the taste of popcorn, I don't enjoy the kernels getting stuck in my teeth, or the way it feels like the snack just sits at the bottom of my stomach without digesting. Also, popcorn doesn't really fill me up. I just feel gross after I eat it (even though I can't tell until after I'm a full bag deep).
So when Ashapops came around, I really liked the idea of a popcorn-esque snack that actually had a high nutritional value and could leave me feeling totally normal after consumption.
My favorite flavor by far is the Vegan Cheese. As someone not currently eating dairy products, I felt like this flavor gave me just the (faux) cheese fix I needed. I can thank nutritional yeast for that.
Next on my list is the Tumeric flavor. Made with the yellow spice, along with garlic, sunflower oil and salt, this variety came with just enough flavor, without being too spicy or overpowering.
My third favorite is the Bombay Pepper Masala. As someone who eats Indian food on the reg, this tasty treat reminds me of some of my favorite dishes. Even though I prefer the aforementioned two flavors, this is still perfectly satisfying.
Last is the Dark Chocolate. While I certainly didn't dislike it, I felt like the chocolate and the popped seeds didn't mesh in flavor as well as the other three products—though I thought cinnamon and nutmeg gave it a fun kick.
Bottom Line
If popcorn makes you feel the way I described above, then Ashapops are an awesome alternative. They taste good, and they're actually pretty good for you!
But if you're a ride-or-die for real, authentic popcorn, welp, I guess there's really no replacing it, huh? Either way, it can't hurt to give these a shot. My only personal qualm is the bags are fairly small and easy to eat in one sitting, whereas a standard bag of popcorn is big enough to be shared among multiple people. Still, I understand why these packages aren't as dense. The flavoring is all-natural, as well as more expensive and timely to make. The items used are of higher quality than your standard popcorn flavoring.
The company also encourages its users to mix their products into cereal with milk or use as an ice cream topping. With that said, when will there be a tikka masala flavor?
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