Pororó, also known as pochoclo, pururú, or palomitas de maíz, has Guaraní origins: its name is an onomatopoeia of the sound corn kernels make as they pop from the heat.
It’s traditionally made with pisingallo corn, a small, round-kernel variety typical of Argentina’s Litoral region and much of the Americas.
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Argentine Pororó Popcorn
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Snack
- Cuisine: Argentine
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of corn or sunflower oil
- 300 g of pisingallo popcorn kernels (about 10.5 oz)
- to taste of salt or sugar
Instructions
- Heat the pot, heat a pot with a lid over high heat and add the oil.
- Add the corn, add the pisingallo kernels in small batches, so all the kernels pop without burning.
- Cover and wait, cover the pot and wait for the kernels to start popping, shaking the pot occasionally.
- Remove from heat, once the kernels stop popping, remove the pot from the heat immediately.
- Transfer, pour the popcorn into another container so it doesn’t keep cooking from residual heat.
- Season, salt to taste or coat with caramel for a sweet version.
- Serve, serve right away, while still crisp.
Tips for getting it right
- Adding the corn in small batches keeps some kernels from burning before the rest pop.
- Shaking the pot occasionally helps distribute heat evenly among all the kernels.
- Removing it from heat as soon as the popping stops keeps the last kernels from burning.
- Pisingallo corn is smaller than regular corn, which lets it expand better with heat.
Traditional variations
- It can be made sweet, coating the popped kernels with melted caramel.
- In some regions it’s called pochoclo, pururú, canchita, canguil, or cotufas, depending on the country.
How to serve
Pororó is served hot and freshly made, salted or sweet, as a snack.
It’s a preparation with Guaraní roots, deeply rooted in the culture of Argentina’s Litoral region.
Recommended sides
- Mate
- Soft drinks
Did you know?
The word “pororó” is a Guaraní onomatopoeia mimicking the sound of corn popping from heat, and the expression “avati pororo” means “corn that explodes.”
Depending on the Spanish-speaking region, this snack goes by different names: pororó, pochoclo, pururú, canchita, canguil, or cotufas.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's a Guaraní-origin onomatopoeia mimicking the sound corn kernels make as they pop from the heat.
It's a small, round-kernel corn variety, ideal for making pororó since it expands better with heat than regular corn.
Adding it gradually keeps some kernels from burning while the rest haven't popped yet.
Depending on the region, it's known as pochoclo, pururú, canchita, canguil, or cotufas, among other names.
