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https://www.foodandwine.com/university-of-illinois-new-popcorn-11922114


At a time when most corn is bred for livestock feed or ethanol, a University of Illinois professor and a pair of local brewers set out to design a new popcorn focused on flavor.

After eight years of development, Riggs Beer Company in Urbana, Illinois, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have released Illini SuperPop, a naturally savory popcorn with subtle nutty notes and a crisp crunch.


The project started in 2018 as an experiment. Dr. Anthony Studer, a crop scientist and professor at the College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences (ACES), launched a popcorn breeding program with a simple goal: to develop blue and orange popcorn in the university’s colors.

Then the focus shifted. “Wouldn’t it be cool if we made a superior popcorn line?” Studer recalls.