AMC butter isn't butter, and we're the reason

[u/OpenComet_]

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[u/djnehi]

I never imagined that it was actually butter. And I never cared. If I wanted high quality real ingredients, I wouldn’t have been eating movie theater popcorn.

[u/SheriffBooth → u/djnehi]

Yes, I don't think the local Marquis 12 is the place to be asking about whether their products were responsibly sourced and cage free, lol.

[u/NateNate60 → u/SheriffBooth]

Yes, the corns and soybeans are free-range, pasture-raised, cage-free, and 100% free of antibiotics. They receive at least 23 hours of outdoor time every day and ample sunlight (weather allowing).

[u/SheriffBooth → u/NateNate60]

Soybeans out there living the life and here we are all stuck in our cages hammering away on our keyboards like suckers.

[u/rawlingstones → u/djnehi]

Maybe I've just been radicalized about animal products lately but yeah this seems like a weird thing to get upset about. Why are soybeans the gross thing here? "EW are you telling me my popcorn sauce came from regular plant-based oil and was never extruded through a cow nipple? Disgusting!"

[u/SkunkMonkey → u/rawlingstones]

popcorn sauce

Okay, now that's funny. :D

[u/LoanDebtCollector → u/SkunkMonkey]

How would "Golden Topping" sit with you? Cineplex Odeon called it that in the 1980s and 1990s.

[u/VP007clips → u/rawlingstones]

Animal debate aside, it's a lot healthier.

Butter is about 65% saturated.

Soybean oil is about 15% saturated.

As long as you remain at an acceptable level of calories and don't displace healthy foods from your diet, soybean oil (or other similar oils) are healthy. On the other hand, butter can be harmful even below your calorie goals.

[u/Adezar → u/djnehi]

Not to mention keeping butter edible while being kept liquid would be a nightmare.

And then the whole cleaning it and it would not be good for heating/cooling multiple times. If you've ever been near rancid butter it is quickly obvious how nasty that would be.

[u/DivineEggs → u/Adezar]

You're supposed to use clarified butter on popcorn (unless you like the wet goey parts from the milk proteins), and well-clarified butter is pretty shelf-stable🙃!

[u/Jmandersn1 → u/Adezar]

I work at a local indie theatre and we offer both but we use ghee for the real butter option so it holds pretty well

[u/ThePartyLeader]

this stuff is some prime example of why ignorance is bliss.

You can get delicious popcorn at some theatres. smothered in this stuff and salt.

Then you go to make it at home and its ruined. Because only your depressed self hating personality actually dumps on enough topping to make it taste right.

EDIT Y'all are wild. Yes I know what flavacol is, yes I use it. I prefer better butter flavacol to the regular stuff but use both at times.

[u/Bobert216 → u/ThePartyLeader]

Idk why ignorance is bliss here. Oil, food coloring and artificial flavors is edible, and doesnt ruin or make me even the slightest bit bothered by it.

[u/ThePartyLeader → u/Bobert216]

its not about it being edible its about not wanting to admit I like to put a half cup of oil on my popcorn.

[u/GasZealousideal7163 → u/ThePartyLeader]

Were you under the impression that half a cup of butter would have been healthier?

[u/ThePartyLeader → u/GasZealousideal7163]

I use the same oils and salts as they do at home.

But now that I know it's 150calories a Tbsp and how much I actually need to match the theatre it was revealed to me the health implications.

It's not about butter vs oil.

It's about ignorance because someone else was adding the oil so I never knew how much it took

[u/temeces → u/ThePartyLeader]

Wait till you find out what they do in restaurants.

[u/FakeSafeWord → u/temeces]

gasps

It was cocaine the whole time?!

[u/PhizixHD → u/FakeSafeWord]

Even worse, msg /s

[u/themonkeyzen → u/FakeSafeWord]

Nono. You think they make enough to do coke? It's weed and cigarettes man. Sheesh.

[u/phl_fc → u/temeces]

I work in industrial bakeries. The butter comes in giant 1 foot cube blocks and they'll throw like 4 cubic feet of butter into the mixer to make a batch of cake dough.

However much butter you think goes into Butterloaf, double your guess and you might be close.

[u/thtamthrfckr → u/phl_fc]

Used to pickup at a commercial bakery that supplied multiple restaurant chains across the country. Pallets of giant blocks of butter you can make a castle out of being tossed into an industrial batch mixer is a wild sight indeed

[u/kralrick → u/temeces]

I think Party is saying that you can ignore a lot (even things you know) when you're not the one doing the prep. But when you're making it, you can't turn the same blind eye.

[u/Raneynickelfire → u/GasZealousideal7163]

Depending on the oil, yes absolutely.

[u/Equal_Refuse_4591 → u/ThePartyLeader]

But yet dipping bread in flavored oil is standard in many cultures

Carbs just needs fat, it's some kind of culinary law

[u/rainer_d → u/ThePartyLeader]

There this saying here: a cheesemaker and a butcher go to a bar and order snacks and beer.

The waitress says: „We have cheese or sausages“.

The cheesemaker doesn’t know what’s in the sausages, so he orders cheese.

The butcher knows what‘s in the sausages and orders cheese.

[u/zira_cortez → u/ThePartyLeader]

Fun fact the real reason movie theatre popcorn and home popcorn never taste the same is because almost every major theatre chain uses Flavacol as their salt ingredient

[u/ThePartyLeader → u/zira_cortez]

oh trust me I use flavocal. Several different flavors in fact depending on what I want that night.

[u/CucumberWisdom → u/zira_cortez]

That's only part of it. The other reason is that they don't use butter.

[u/JAOC_7 → u/ThePartyLeader]

I don’t add anything on when I get theater popcorn since I just don’t like the options, but when I make popcorn at home I cook the kernels in melted butter and seasonings, leagues better

[u/radicalelation → u/JAOC_7]

Popping in butter is great, but it's not as good a topping.

Clarified butters tho...

[u/derfmai]

Ran a small theater for several years. Popcorn is cooked with coconut oil and Flavocal as a seasoning which gives the popcorn the buttered yellow look when it pops.

The “butter” topping that is added from the pump is in fact soy bean oil, with artificial butter flavoring and beta keratin from carrots for coloring. It’s healthier than butter, doesn’t require high temps to keep melted and has a much longer shelf life. Technically it is artificial butter topping, but it also qualified as “vegan” so I always told people it was Vegan Butter Topping, which made people much happier because not only was it true, but removed the hesitancy in people’s minds from using it because of the health stigma behind animal fats being added to their favorite movie theater concession.

[u/Sagikos → u/derfmai]

Flavocal is legit:)

Question in case you come back to this: what % of movie theaters do you think are still independent?

When the 2nd matrix movie came out a friend of a friend’s dad owned a theater out in the middle of nowhere.

He had like 30 of us all drive out there one night, we gave his dad like $5 a head and we watched the movie 2 weeks early. Do independent theaters do that kind of stuff or was this guy crooked?

[u/donaldfranklinhornii → u/Sagikos]

You were lucky to see this movie early!

[u/Sharobob → u/Sagikos]

hahaha I guarantee that was illegal (or at least a huge violation of whatever contracts he signed) but that's awesome

[u/shidderbean → u/Sagikos]

INdie theaters used to do this all the time, I haven't even seen an indie theater in the last like 15+ years so I can't confirm if they still do it or not. We called them 'midnight showings' but they were really more like friends & family not-officially-a-theater-for-the-night-BYOB-or-weed-or-whatever showings

[u/der_titan → u/derfmai]

... I always told people it was Vegan Butter Topping

I can't believe it's not butter!

[u/RappingFlatulence → u/der_titan]

Fabio ®️

[u/wandering-monster → u/derfmai]

It also works better, real butter has a higher water content and makes the popcorn soggy.

You can get away with ghee if you absolutely want to use "real" butter, but it tastes about the same and it's way less healthy.

[u/1738_bestgirl → u/derfmai]

I mean it's just classic anti intellectualism that is being fed through MAHA minded people.

Where "fake" food is what causes all your problems while raw and real foods don't.

Steel is artificial. Doesn't make it bad, but people have decided (or been coaxed into believing) artifical means it's bad.

[u/Humble-Penalty-5730 → u/derfmai]

False. Not coconut oil. Vegetable oil and most commonly canola oil. Coconut oil isnt used as its a common allergen same reason its not peanut oil

[u/Cola_Gummi]

Of course. Butter is solid at room temp, it would turn your popcorn into paste.

[u/Peeka789 → u/Cola_Gummi]

I used to work at a movie theater and this stuff does solidify when not kept warm. I don't think it's soybean oil but it's also definitely not 100% butter. 

[u/sixbone → u/Peeka789]

you might be thinking of the oil used to pop the popcorn. that used to be coconut oil in the early 90s. the fake butter shit is definitely soybean oil and flows at room temp.

[u/Charlie_Warlie → u/sixbone]

Yes, we had 2 "bibs" or bags in boxes of oil. Topping oil and Popping oil. One time someone got them mixed up and it tasted pretty bad.

I believe the popping oil storage spot under the popper was pretty warm. The butter was not warm.

[u/guitar_vigilante → u/sixbone]

You really don't need a lot of oil to pop popcorn either. I cook it on the stovetop and home and you just need enough to coat the bottom of the pan/pot. I use olive oil.

[u/yasth → u/guitar_vigilante]

It tastes better if you use more, up to a point. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/22/dining/popcorn-recipes.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ElE.fUZf.AoP4k8Rf1nUp&smid=url-share

[u/Charlie_Warlie → u/yasth]

I have a small popper at home that works like the movie theater ones and the recipe they give you is the bare min amount of oil and it tastes OK. But if you 4x that amount of oil, it's more like what you get at the movies.

I think it is 1/3 cup of popcorn and 1 tablespoon of oil. But if you do 1/4 cup of oil, much yummier.

[u/Apptubrutae → u/sixbone]

It’s still coconut oil.

Butter flavored coconut oil is the standard oil for popping movie theater popcorn

[u/twotall88 → u/Cola_Gummi]

I use butter for all the popcorn popped at home. It doesn't make your popcorn into a paste or soggy unless you put a metric ton on it which is gross in itself. I'm talking maybe 4 tablespoons of butter for a giant bowl of popcorn made from a cup of kernels.

[u/snapplesauce1 → u/twotall88]

Yes, and also don't put it on while it's still boiling hot from the microwave. This makes the butter penetrate the popcorn and makes it soggy. Gotta either melt it slowly and stir every 5-10s or so. Or if it does get too hot, put the melted butter in the fridge for a couple minutes to let it cool down again (obviously not to the point of solidifying).

[u/Necatorducis → u/snapplesauce1]

Put 4 - 8 tbsp in a glass pyrex measuring cup. Put said cup in microwave for 60 seconds. No wait needed. Should range from slight froth head to itty bitty solid piece left. Either will magically disappear in the 3 seconds you take your eyes off it in transport to the popcorn.

Don't dump it in like a god damned uncultured swine. If it's boiling with stated container, containing stated range, heated for stated time... consider that you are, in probability, mistaking the microwave for the deep fryer.

Drizzle 1/3, salt, affect mechanical action on to bowl for reorientation of unseasoned exposure > wind back to drizzle stage > repeat > wind back to drizzle stage > commence remaining drizzle.

Proper drizzle technique per 1/3 demands at minimum a crisscross pass of the bowl with each criss consisting of at least 3 paths. The final remnants path can be more wacky and wild in it's final dispersing path. An expression of you.

Training is complete when sog is no more, only dew.

[u/Sufficient_Language7 → u/Cola_Gummi]

Butter also has water it will make your Popcorn soggy, you should use Ghee instead.

[u/nycdiveshack → u/Cola_Gummi]

I have a crazy idea… someone make a fake TikTok or other social media equivalent of a person getting pissed that they find out it’s not real butter and that it’s vegan oil and make it a whole “woke crap movie theaters not giving real butter”. Would love to see how many people maga and non-maga get rilled up either getting pissed or trying to defend it.

Then we round up those people and say they can’t vote. Firstly because they were dumb enough to believe what they were told instead of taking 2 mins to research it. Secondly because they are getting worked up about something that doesn’t affect anyone…

[u/ThomasGruber → u/Cola_Gummi]

I put butter on my hot popcorn and it is not a paste. Why are you eating cold popcorn? Even when it reaches room temperature it is still a oil, not a paste. Places use it because it does not turn rancid and it is cheap.

[u/B-Train_ATL]

I can’t believe it’s not butter!!!

[u/braumbles]

Ever put hot butter on popcorn? It shrivels.

[u/manjar → u/braumbles]

Unless you separate the milk part, or buy ghee in the first place. Then it doesn't shrivel.

Edit: a lot of you going on about "milk solids". Just don't use any of the milk part, which sinks to the bottom when you melt the butter and is very easy to identify. It's not any more complicated than that.

[u/Old-Routine-1629 → u/manjar]

I wish they made a spray form of ghee.  I'd call it Ghee Whiz

[u/hurriedwarples → u/Old-Routine-1629]

https://giphy.com/gifs/l1BgSUZHe1bz3EHDi

[u/DolphinFraud → u/manjar]

It’s not the milk solids, it’s the water content that you need to evaporate off

[u/cortesoft → u/DolphinFraud]

Which is why ghee works, because it has had the water evaporated out

[u/Charlie_Warlie → u/braumbles]

yes, back in the day we had one of those air poppers. They used to have this dish at the top where you could put butter so it would melt and then pour that on top. We tried that once and it was soggy so we never did that again.

[u/Scamp3D0g]

Wait. Is that guy using a straw to get the "butter" deeper down into the bucket? Does that work? Is that a thing? I want it to be a thing.

[u/The_Phasd → u/Scamp3D0g]

Yup, pour like normal then some through the straw to get it to the bottom half too. Welcome to the next chapter of your life. Everything gets better now.

[u/Scamp3D0g → u/The_Phasd]

This might be the most life altering thing I've seen on Reddit since it showed my how to tie my shoelaces so they don't come undone.

[u/ap1msch]

• This is correct
• The flavoring can be purchased as dust in a box
• The soybean oil is for dispersion and adhesion without solidifying or making the popcorn soggy

[u/couchcushion7 → u/ap1msch]

The flavoring dust youre mentioning is Flavacol. That goes in the oil while cooking. Highly salty and buttery flavoried, super duper fine powder.

The topping oil is something different entirely- and isnt ever in powder form.

- i have both at home currently. Wife used to work at a movie theater i ordered what they used.

[u/run_squirtle_run]

I worked at a movie theater as a teen and we used Real Butter! Not actual butter, that was just the BRAND! It was diabolical. They had ads all over promoting our REAL BUTTER 🥴

[u/ZeePM → u/run_squirtle_run]

Makes it easier for the frontline workers to say to the customers with a straight face, yes it’s real butter.

[u/apocolipse → u/run_squirtle_run]

Nobody bothered calling it “Reel Butter”??? I mean come.on.

[u/nvrmndthereason]

I work at a movie theater and we use real butter! We melt it, skim off the salt layer on top if there's a lot, and exclude the cream too.

We have machines that keep the butter warm.

[u/ThrownAway17Years]

Have you ever made more than a single serving of popcorn with real butter? It’s ok if you eat it fast, but the texture becomes a bit gross if you let it come down to room temp.

[u/Terror_from_the_deep]

People saying you would never put real butter on popcorn are crazy. We make popcorn at home all the time, and we always add a ton of butter, and it's delicious.

[u/AGayThrow_Away → u/Terror_from_the_deep]

I worked at a movie theater years ago that used real butter. They had a retro device that heated and stirred a small vat of butter and also skimmed the top at the same time. It came out just fine and didn't make the popcorn soggy at all. People raved about the popcorn.

I am convinced people here are just preparing and applying the butter incorrectly. Sure I understand it's a lot more labor intensive though this device I mentioned made it easier. But it seems like people think it's impossible to do buttered popcorn without it becoming soggy, which is just false.

[u/BiKeenee]

People will say "soybean oil" like it was invented by hitler but then agree that tofu is a health food.

My brother in christ its the oil of a bean. It's not that bad.

[u/Airkoryo_ → u/BiKeenee]

If it were invented by Hitler the same people would be guzzling it down by the gallons

[u/magic4242]

From a man who has worked the theaters and a professional chef, keep in mind that butter does burn after sitting in a heat well for a while..

[u/GentrifriesGuy]

https://giphy.com/gifs/pUeXcg80cO8I8

[u/smolhippie]

Wait…. I’m allergic to soy…. Is this why the popcorn has made me sick?????

[u/DesperateAdvantage76 → u/smolhippie]

Ironically my son is allergic to dairy so we were delighted to hear that it didn't have real butter in it.

[u/Ok_Patience4789]

real butter congeals at room temp.

If you apply it while it's still very warm it shrinks the hell out of the popcorn which upsets the customer (because it doesn't "feel as full as it should").

So yeah, you get a soybean oil margarine type "sauce"

[u/CallMeBot-001]

There is a lot of bad information regarding butter and popcorn in this thread, no wonder ya'll hate it, you haven't done it right.

1. Buy kernels, not bagged popcorn.
2. In whatever pot you got, cover the bottom with vegetable oil.
3. Pour in popcorn kernels, the kernels should be like 1 to 2 pieces high in the pan, you don't want it that deep.
4. The kernels should all be touching oil, they don't need to be submerged.
5. Cook on medium to medium-high heat with the lid on, once the pot is full dump all the contents into a pan. I like to use those classic blue enameled roasting pans that every family in the US had at one point. You need something with a lid, roasting pans have nice big lids that give plenty of room for shaking. I usually do two pots, to fill the roasting pan with popcorn (love this shit and its good for days)
6. Now, in the same pot, over low heat, melt a stick of butter. I personally find the butter tastes best melted, not burnt. So melt it slowly. The popcorn also cools down in this step.
7. Once the butter is completely melted, spoon it on top of the popcorn, spreading it out a lot (think like whipping a paintbrush). Do 3-5 spoonful's at a time (depends on your spoon size) and a good sprinkling of salt (I prefer kosher salt), throw the lid on, shake vigorously for a few moments to give everything a toss.
8. Repeat last step until all butter is on the popcorn and it is salted to your desire.

If at any point you smell burning, dump the pot in the trash and try again with some tweaked amounts. Burnt popcorn ruins the entire batch.

I've never once had an issue with soggy popcorn like people are mentioning in this thread or any other issue pointed here, and this popcorn generally stays good for at least 4 days, but I always devour it by day 3. Storing in a brown paper bag also does magical things to it.

Example popcorn

Example pan, albeit I don't know the exact size I have

Those are not specific product endorsements, just references for what I am getting at.

[u/Relative-Chicken456 → u/CallMeBot-001]

You’re the first person I’ve ever met who makes popcorn the same way I do! Microwave popcorn sucks, movie theater popcorn sucks, popcorn machine popcorn sucks and most store bought pre-popped popcorn sucks. This is truly the gold standard of popcorn making and I can’t recommend it enough to everyone.

[u/CallMeBot-001 → u/Relative-Chicken456]

It is a gift taught to me by my grandfather, I've never met anyone else IRL that does it either and there is truly no other method that compares!

[u/ohjeaa → u/CallMeBot-001]

That's a shitload of work for something that still doesn't taste as good as movie theater popcorn with that bomb ass fake butter.

[u/roscoeperson → u/ohjeaa]

Seriously. I’ll just throw a bag in the microwave for a couple minutes then put it in a big bowl or eat it straight from the bag. This guy is suggesting TWO pans and an oven for a snacky snack. 

[u/i-will-eat-you → u/ohjeaa]

The secret is adding MSG. My partner works at a movie theater and makes popcorn. She brought home a bag full of the seasoning, and tasting it... it's just MSG with some other flavors mixed in like garlic and parmesan or what have you.

Whenever you make a savory snack that you can't seem to get to the level of the big brands, the answer is always MSG. Chips, fries, sauces, popcorn, all doused in Make Shit Good.

[u/BoomSlang361 → u/CallMeBot-001]

Riiiight. Nobody is doing all that for some mid ass popcorn.

[u/TurtleBrainer]

The fact that movie theaters don't use real butter on the popcorn has been common knowledge for decades. It's not just AMC, and it's not for the reason this one guy claims. It was mainly the cost, and the fact that real butter makes the popcorn soggy. But this has been going on, nationwide since at least the 1970s.

[u/cptwinklestein]

I love accidentally vegan movie theater popcorn

[u/How_that_convo_went]

Why is this photo AI?

[u/script_notes_plz]

Real butter settles too. An hour in the flick it’s all slimey. There are better alternatives than most theatres use though. That colored oil stuff is like 10x cheaper than the good substitutes (whirl is a good example, and it’s dairy free so it’d eliminate a potential food allergy and is vegan).

[u/ChulaK]

Good enough for me. I dump that shit, it's like I have a bucket of melted butter that just happens to have popcorn inside

[u/lkodl → u/ChulaK]

A bucket of soybean oil dyed yellow*

[u/rylanlip]

I used to work at a theater and we had the best popcorn in town, but it was just butter-flavored coconut oil and flavacol. I bought the same ingredients for my mom to make at home and it tasted just like I remember.

[u/earthwormjimjones]

Movie Theater Popcorn and that fake ass butter is my number one guilty pleasure food. I hadn't been able to go to the movies since my son was born 9 years ago, and I was so stoked to see in April that they had the self-serve butter stations now lol. That wasn't a thing last time I went.

[u/West-Piccolo-687]

Make popcorn on the stove at home and melt a stick of butter into it. It’ll be nasty.

[u/uhf26]

I thought this was common knowledge 

[u/That_Cartoonist_9459]

Wait, people actually thought this was butter?

[u/joseph_grizzly → u/That_Cartoonist_9459]

next you'll tell me the hot dog isn't really dog.

[u/digital0verdose → u/That_Cartoonist_9459]

They literally ask you, "Do you want butter on your popcorn?"

[u/naricstar]

Does anyone actually think butter would even be healthier? Like... A pound of butter on your popcorn isn't going to be an improvement. 

[u/DrTommyNotMD]

I’ve consumed tap water all over the world without issue, but this stuff gives me the shits within 2 hours.

[u/FlounderKind8267]

If you think that's bad, don't check to see what cheaper "maple" 😉 syrup is made of

[u/ProfessionalGrade423]

I go to the movies like twice a year, damn right I want fake butter on my popcorn. This is not an everyday sort of food. It’s a damn delight. I’ve been in the UK for 8 years now and I have regrets every time I go to the movies here because my popcorn is unbuttered, worse if it’s the “sweet” version.

[u/Winring86]

I mean, what is so gross about soybean oil?

[u/Vast-Breakfast-1201]

Regular butter makes it soggy due to the high moisture content

If you want to use real real butter you need to clarify it first which removes the moisture.

[u/Strawbuddy]

What in the hell is the person in the Pic doing? Why are they trying to either: fill their hand with popcorn oil, or to fit a straw to the end of the butter dispenser?

[u/Remarkable_Table_737]

I remember 20 odd years ago there was a gentleman who got brain damage mixing the butter for one of the popcorn makers and they had to issue a statement that after properly mixed it was safe to eat

[u/Piece73]

Same oils they use to make margarine and non dairy coffee creamer.

[u/somethingcomforting]

Uhhhhh wrong. It’s actually pee pee

[u/CryptographerLow6360]

this is what you want.

[u/ProfessionalPop2348]

I never put the extra butter on my popcorn. The stuff they shake on it is enough for me. The liquid stuff just gives me a stomach ache.

[u/MonitorPositive4297]

this ain't new, y'all! I worked behind the concession counters in the mid-90s. We had to ask "would you like any butter-flavored topping on that?"

[u/CatsPlusTats]

I fucking love artificial popcorn butter. They make me pay for real butter when this tastes way better. I'm at the movies to enjoy myself, not to make healthier choices (and I have no idea which one is a healthier choice anyway).

[u/MonHunKitsune]

People need more science education.

(a) Yup, it's not real butter. (b) You also shouldn't be upset about it. (c) Why do you think butter tastes like "butter". It's not magical, there is a chemical in butter that interacts with receptors on your tongue and gives that particular flavor profile. The molecule is called diacetyl and it's the same thing in the "dyed soybean oil" (d) Why be upset about ingesting soybean oil? Butter fats are not significantly different from a metabolic and chemical point of view.

Bonus Fun Fact for you. Butter is normally white and not yellow. It only turns yellow when it starts to go rancid. But the general public thinks butter is supposed to be yellow so most companies add a small amount of beta-carotene to the butter to dye it yellow. So even your "real butter" is probably dyed yellow too!

Source: I'm a chemist.

TLDR: Butter isn't yellow, it's all dyed anyways. Soybean oil with butter flavoring isn't significantly different than butter in any meaningful way for your health.

[u/dadydaycare → u/MonHunKitsune]

Partially true. (Real untreated) Butter is yellow based on how much beta carotene is in it. Most cattle aren’t fed off pasture so their feed typically doesn’t have much beta carotene in it so you often get what would be called winter butter which is white. It doesn’t affect the taste much, it does but most people wouldn’t notice butter can develop a more yellow coloring but if you have white butter it more likely will become a translucent off white. If food dye was put in to make it yellow the dyes will migrate to the surface and make it appear more yellow as it gets old.

Secondly people expect a pretty heavy tongue pounding of diacetyl from their buttered popcorn so when yo do get real butter you typically and funnily think it’s fake. It also is annoying to keep shelf stable and food safe in a setting like movie theater popcorn dispensers as well as being 6x more expensive before factoring in the waste.

Diacetyl is also a very common compound that is in beer/black coffee and other foods, even vapes to give that creamy/buttery flavor.

I went to college for culinary arts and took some semesters of food science. Not a chemist.

[u/Next_Instruction_528 → u/MonHunKitsune]

To act like that shit actually tastes like butter is crazy. If it did then people wouldn't have complained if you actually gave them butter.

Your also wrong about multiple other parts.

Diacetyl isn't the whole flavor. It's one contributor. Butter's aroma also comes from δ-lactones (δ-decalactone, δ-dodecalactone), acetoin, methyl ketones, and free short-chain fatty acids like butyric acid. Sweet-cream butter has relatively little diacetyl; cultured butter has more because of bacterial fermentation.

Rancidity doesn't make butter yellow. Rancidity is lipid hydrolysis and oxidation, which produces off aromas like butyric acid and aldehydes. Oxidation destroys carotenoids, so the surface bleaches or discolors. It doesn't yellow.

The yellow comes from carotenoids in the cow's feed. They pass into the milk fat. Grass-fed butter, like Irish butter, is naturally yellow. Winter or grain-fed butter is paler, and Jersey and Guernsey milk is more carotenoid-rich

[u/DanNeider → u/Next_Instruction_528]

As a science "not-haver" I am excited to watch this wizard battle unfold

[u/Intelligent_Bag_6705 → u/DanNeider]

https://giphy.com/gifs/kC8N6DPOkbqWTxkNTe

[u/PetalumaPegleg]

That's because you're used to the grotesque flavor. As someone who moved to America I'm genuinely bemused that people like this. The buttered popcorn jelly belly is the worst one of the real flavors.

A chef friend told me that a lot of the olive oil Americans buy is rancid, but they used to be sold the worst stuff from Europe so overall people got used to the taste and now don't like the best olive oil as much.

And as someone who grew up in England, American chocolate (like as in candy bars etc not super expensive stuff), esp Hershey's, tastes like vomit.

My main take away from this is that people get used to what they're given.

[u/SharpScallion → u/PetalumaPegleg]

Yeah but hershey's chocolate is mostly for giving away for free like on halloween or cheap treats in the office. Most adults buying chocolate for themselves will pay up for better options

[u/skallagrim_brunic → u/PetalumaPegleg]

I'm an American and I think Hershey's is absolutely disgusting

[u/Lukewarm_Oatmeal → u/PetalumaPegleg]

American here (sorry 4 existing) and thank you for saying Hershey’s tastes like actual fucking vomit— it’s a real thing I’ve been saying for years.

[u/Comfortable_Prize750]

I know it's not real butter, and I don't care. It's delicious.

[u/Dismal-Vanilla1878]

I'm guessing that real butter runs the risk of going bad if left out for hours, even if constantly heated, while the oil doesn't?

I'm okay with the fake butter at the theater, but I always drench my home popcorn with tons of real butter....why is my left arm aching all of a sudden?..... 😂

[u/lioncryable → u/Dismal-Vanilla1878]

Butter doesn't really go bad if you leave it out. I know people that store their butter outside their fridge 24/7 and id say it lasts 1-2 weeks

[u/MtnDewTangClan → u/Dismal-Vanilla1878]

Real butter is expensive and businesses like money so you get soyoil.

[u/OKAwesome121]

Surely no one thinks the self serve “butter” dispenser is going to be filled with an expensive, perishable dairy product?

[u/TheRealBittoman]

I worked at an AMC theater back in 1992. That was what it was then too. I don't know when the switch happened but it was definitely before Forrest had to run or dinosaurs ruled an island.

[u/Both_Archer_3653]

Another homebrew geek can assist, but that flavor is a byproduct of yeast fermentation.

In beer making, it usually happens in ales when the fermentation takes place at too high a temperature.  I forget the specific chemical name.  It's a heavy mark against during brew competitions.

It's not real butter, but it's not unnatural.

[u/Sensitive-Meat-757]

Just found out? No one has ever thought that was butter unless they don't know what butter is

[u/Worldly_Map4877]

It's not Soybean oil. It's actually Coconut Oil.

[u/yerBoyShoe]

Real butter would be less flavorful and really hard to maintain at temperature and freshness. Imagine cleaning the machine of rancid dairy every night...!

[u/Arxl]

It's why vegans can eat most theater popcorn!

[u/FrostyChest7188]

My buddy who works at the movie theater has been telling me this for years. This is absolutely true.

[u/vancitydreamer]

When I worked at Cineplex in Canada 20 years ago, we had both options, and those options are still available now. Real butter you'd have a small upcharge, but margarine was free.

Guests were supposed to pay more if they wanted the butter layered throughout the bag of popcorn, which I'd never charge. The margarine was self-serve.

[u/blacklotusmag]

Movie theaters: we use this vegetable oil dyed yellow instead of butter

Random person on the internet: it's because no one liked real butter

Movie theaters: nah, it's because hydrogenated oil is way cheaper than dairy butter, it doesn't need refrigeration and we can store it on shelves indefinitely, it doesn't gum up our machines like real butter does and it makes popcorn less soggy.

Random person on the internet: But, but...how will I get upvotes if I don't make up some bullshit claim?

[u/Parking_Fortune9523 → u/blacklotusmag]

Or maybe it's both? Most people prefer the movie theater oil flavored popcorn for its taste and texture, and oil is cheaper, easier, and more practical to use. I'm a butter fan, but it's a different product completely.

[u/GlummyGloom]

Movie popcorn has a specific taste compared to home popcorn.

When Im at the theater, I want that theater taste.

[u/kon---]

I believe the stuff is called, Whirl

wait, let me check...

Found it.

[u/Lost_Department_2177]

Flavacol and coconut oil with Beta-carotene.

If you buy a carton of it you could probably eat a bucket a day for a few years

[u/BeneficialTrash6]

I used to make the butter sauce at a pizza place. It was 95% soybean oil, some other oil, and then a seasoning packet.

[u/vanastalem]

It's a butter flavored topping. I didn't know people thought it was actual butter. Butter isn't going to be coming out of the dispenser.

[u/thhpht]

Alamo Drafthouse uses real butter on their popcorn. You can tell it’s real because when you get towards the bottom of the popcorn bowl, it’s all congealed with a layer of popcorn stuck in it. But then you just place an order for a free refill and they bring it to you.

[u/beancounter1979]

If you grew up eating margarine, movie popcorn grease might taste good to you.

[u/Big-Contribution8590]

Soybean oil has mostly unsaturated fat and no cholesterol, which tends to be better for heart health than butter, which is high in saturated fat.

[u/ThroatDistension]

If they use real butter it has to be clarified. My local independent theatre uses real butter and it turns the popcorn soggy and shriveled.

[u/MoxxFulder]

I worked a theatre 30 years ago and for legal reasons we were not allowed to call it butter. It was butter flavoring, or artificial butter topping.

[u/ROBOKUT]

My hometown theater still uses clarified butter and locally grown corn. And this theater actually sells out on the weekends. The Artcraft theater!

[u/Ok-Stop9242]

Boomers did such irreparable damage to food quality that people are actually brainwashed into thinking soybean oil tastes better than butter.

[u/e37d93eeb23335dc]

This is why I prefer kettle corn or caramel popcorn.

[u/ShadowMajick]

Popcorn soaks up real butter and it gets soggy. The oil flavored butter sits on top like a glaze.

[u/Higher-Frequencies]

Funny, I believe it used to be butter flavored coconut oil back in the day.

With the coconut oil health supplement craze, I guess they switched to the basic bitch of oil. At least it's not palm oil I guess.

[u/TheBeatGoesAnanas]

If you want to use real butter at home, you need to brown the butter first. That's where all those toasted, nutty notes come from.

[u/Shadax]

just put the butter-flavored topping in the bag, bro

[u/okram2k]

popcorn butter hasn't been real butter for like generations

[u/draconisnonsequitur]

Worked in theatres for a long time. I can confirm this was true where I was.

They had real butter as an option but eventually discontinued it because hardly anyone used it and it wasn't worth the cost.

[u/SilverKnightOfMagic]

it has never tasted like butter lol

[u/Shark_Leader]

It is known.

[u/MephiticBundleOfSox]

How is this news to anyone? Back in the day, when it wasn’t self serve and the employees asked if you wanted it on your popcorn, AMC asked if you wanted “butter flavoring.” And that was 40 years ago. The dispenser says nothing about it being butter.

[u/Dirt290]

Also real clarified butter costs about $.30 - $.50 per tablespoon

[u/wrongsideofthewire]

Semi-related to this topic: a theater by me has a shaker full of nutritional yeast on the counter. It takes popcorn to the next level. I had never had it and holy smokes, mind blown. Adds a cheesy, umami-like flavor on top of the butter. Highly recommend.

[u/granadesnhorseshoes]

Butter has too much water, Ghee/clarified butter is what it's supposed to resemble, and does. It's not soybean, its coconut oil. Also the color is not artificial, its annatto seed same as cheddar cheese. The butter 'flavoring' on the other hand is a bit more sus, but at this point seems harmless enough as long as you don't breath it in.

[u/smittensamantha]

Y’all know real butter spoils after a time under heat, the employees can hardly keep the stuff stocked that doesn’t spoil, it’s not hard to see the real reason why

[u/BlitzieTattoos]

Being from the UK butter in popcorn is a wild concept to me. Doesn't it just make it all slimey?

[u/RefusedByAll → u/BlitzieTattoos]

not at all

[u/TheGreatKonaKing → u/BlitzieTattoos]

In the US popcorn is typically a savory treat, eaten with salt and butter. You sometimes find kettle corn at festivals, seasoned with sugar, which would be more typical of the style in the UK.

[u/Deltron_Zed]

You're JUST finding out movie popcorn butter isn't butter?

[u/Ok_Diver2347]

Real butter would give 75% of people the shits, instantly.

[u/KittenLina]

Try putting butter on your popcorn. It becomes soft and gross.

[u/guynye]

How could you not know that, it taste nothing like butter.

[u/TriceCreamSundae]

This is covered in an episode of Seinfeld. “It’s more consistent”

[u/Antique-Ad-4422]

Why are people shocked about this? 😂. It has been common knowledge for decades.

[u/CityBoiNC]

Anyone can taste that shit and know it’s not butter

[u/NacresR]

The Marcus theater by me has popcorn that straight up tastes like coconut butter, it’s fucking gross.

[u/icantakeyourwood]

So we’ve been willingly eating yellow-flavored soybean oil this whole time

[u/robtk12]

At home, I mix butter, olive oil and salt, heat on the stove til melted, mix and drizzle. Pretty good

[u/sumochump]

Soybean? It used to be coconut when I worked there 20 years ago. I haven't voluntarily gone back to an AMC after quitting.

[u/Evening-Rip1522]

It's not supposed to be butter. It's supposed to be corn oil. Soybean oil sounds gross tho.

[u/RCJHGBR9989]

That butter is better for popcorn - I use butter flavored coconut oil and Flavocal - you can make movie theatre butter popcorn at home!

[u/Kashimashi]

Orville Redenbacher's sells this stuff in bottles at the grocery store. It's delicious, works so much better than butter.

[u/misfitx]

The only good real butter is clarified. But that does take 30 minutes of simmering so it's a bit expensive for a movie theater.

[u/Formal_Ad1032]

I can’t believe so many people didn’t know this. My local theaters have this which anyone can add on to their popcorn for free. It even said ‘butter flavoring’ on the dispenser indicating it’s not real butter. We have an option to add on the real butter, but that actually costs extra money.

[u/LifeAppointment7055]

At Cineplex Odeon if you ask for extra butter at the counter it's 1.50 and it's clarified butter. If you go to the napkin stand it's this stuff. Not sure if AMC is the same.

[u/ThatDamnedHansel]

At least it’s vegan

[u/Jbooxie]

I don’t care if what it is, its delicious

[u/holyfreakingshitake]

really cause homemade popcorn with butter white cheddar and a lil salt is gass

[u/Jking9668]

Our theater uses coconut oil instead of butter and it’s mega popular

[u/XxV0IDxX]

My son is allergic to diary so for us it’s great!

[u/pixelprophet]

2nd job I had as a kid was working in theatres. We had tile floors behind the counter and it was always slick as fuck because you could never fully get the 'butteree' product off of it. It also absorbed into the bottom of your shoes and made them soft as fuck and wear away super fast.

I don't like popcurn because of my experiences with this shit and the assholes that demand it be layered on the inside of the container and in 7 layers between each scoop.

[u/Dear-Examination-507]

So people who eat giants tubs of oily popcorn aren't picky about getting healthy ingredients?

[u/Longjumping-Lab-7345]

Can y'all not just eat salted pop corn?

[u/HeyLes20]

I watched a series on TLC years ago where they showed a doctor performing liposuction and when the fat was sucked out in tubes it reminded me of popcorn butter.
I just can’t do it 🤢 I’m sure it’s awesome though lol

[u/Own_Recommendation49]

I just googled this and its... false?

[u/DaughterOfBabalon_]

The movie theatre butter does, in fact, taste better than real butter when put on popcorn.