I don’t know if you have ever tried to type while also eating popcorn, but I can assure you that it’s messy work. I know this because I picked up a few bags of gourmet popcorn when I visited Candy Wrappers and now I can’t stop eating it. Right now I’m snacking on “Rootbeer Floats Your Boat” popcorn, which is a combination of root beer and vanilla flavored popcorn. Last night it was “Caramel Apple Pie” popcorn, which combines caramel, apple, vanilla and cinnamon popcorn. Long story short: my keyboard is getting sticky and I now know where to get the best tasting gourmet popcorn in the Omaha area.
I should back up and tell you that a few months ago I bought some “gourmet” popcorn at a grocery store and it tasted like badly flavored margarine with hints of popcorn. I was so grossed out that I swore off gourmet popcorn. That was until I tried the offerings at Candy Wrappers and now I’m back on board. I can thank owners Jim and Susan Hitzemann for redeeming gourmet popcorn.
“We try to be unique,” says Susan. “We don’t skimp on any of our ingredients with our popcorn. We’re different from everyone else. If you pick up a bag from another company, you’ll find all the crumbs on the bottom. You pick up one of our bags of popcorn, you won’t see any crumbs. We meticulously screen it all out.” Susan picked up a bag to show me what she meant, and she was right; there were no crumbs at the bottom at all.
Crumbs or no crumbs, it’s really the taste that matters. So when I started sampling the popcorn I was not only impressed with the fresh, vibrant flavors, but the interesting combinations of flavors made it a fun experience. “We come up with different popcorn flavors all the time,” says Jim. “On Monday nights during football we do a ‘lab night’ where we have friends over and anything new on the menu gets tested then.”
Jim’s favorite flavor of popcorn is “Ev’s Caramel Popcorn.” The recipe came from his grandmother and it’s one of the store’s best sellers. All of the popcorn is made on-site and Susan says that they use local ingredients whenever possible. “I buy local whenever I can,” she says. “We support other local businesses.”
Candy Wrappers also offers a wide variety of chocolate covered stuff: chocolate covered cherries (which were insanely delicious), chocolate covered potato chips, and chocolate covered wine bottles. “We’re one of the first in Omaha to make the chocolate covered wine bottles,” says Susan. She explained to me that the process of coating a wine bottle in chocolate is long and meticulous, and the wine bottle doesn’t get damaged in the process if you do it right. Jim takes care of this particular task because Susan doesn’t have the patience it requires.
Everything I sampled at Candy Wrappers was delicious. I also noticed that everything tasted fresh and did not have any weird preservative after-taste at all. This place is more than a candy shop – it’s a gourmet candy store that manages to still have a friendly atmosphere.
So go for the popcorn and while you’re there try the handcrafted chocolates and fudge. There is also a wall full of wrapped candy and plenty of gift options throughout the store. When you stop in, ask Susan to show you the eyeball peanut butter truffle she keeps behind the counter.
You can also find Candy Wrappers popcorn at Tomato Tomato, Wohlners and the Children’s Hospital gift shop, or order online for delivery anywhere within the United States.
Monday – Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sunday: Closed
2718 South 123rd Court (402) 697-0306