17 Spanish Words for Popcorn
Can you believe there are 17 different popcorn names in Spanish? It’s kind of like snow for the Eskimos; Latin Americans agree: this snack is a must!
Movie nights at home or friend gatherings at the movies wouldn’t be the same without popcorn!
As you learn Spanish, it’s helpful to also learn fun facts about Latin American culture and history.
Keep reading to access an awesome lesson on the many Spanish terms for popcorn!
Origin of Popcorn
The custom of eating roasted and inflated corn dates back pre-Hispanic times. Corn was the main staple of civilizations in Mesoamerica. The Incas, Maya, and Aztecs built their economy around this grain.
Corn’s main characteristic is its versatility. People grind it into flour, ferment it to make alcoholic beverages, and inflate it to make popcorn.
Archeological findings indicate that Chilean ancestors consumed inflated popcorn. Archeologist Ricardo Latcham found pots with roasted and inflated corn in 1932.
17 Popcorn Names
Here’s a list of 17 Spanish terms for popcorn used across Latin America.
1. Las cabritas
Country of origin: Chile
While cabritas (little goats) is the Spanish diminutive of cabras (goats), Chileans chose this name because they say corn “jumps like little goats” while popping.
2. Las canchitas
Country of origin: Peru
While cancha is the Spanish translation for “sports field,” this word derives from the Quechua word “kamcha,” which refers to popcorn. The suffix –itas makes the word a diminutive.
3. El canguil
Country of origin: Ecuador
Canguil is the name Ecuatorians give to the tiny, hard corn kernels that are specifically used to make popcorn.
4. La cocaleca
Country of origin: Dominican Republic
While Dominicans use cocaleca to talk about popcorn, they also use the same term to refer to their unique candy made of rice covered in honey and flavored with coconut and sugar.
5. Las cotufas
Country of origin: Venezuela
Surprisingly enough, the three-syllable word cotufa comes from three English words—“corn to fry.” If you pay close attention to these three words pronounced quickly, you will find the resemblance to the Venezuelan version of it.
Beware, though! Sometimes, Venezuelans use the same word to describe people whose hair is disheveled, too curly, or simply unconventional. For example:
Tienes el pelo como cotufa.
You’ve got crazy hair.
6. Las crispetas
Country of origin: Colombia
The Colombian word for popcorn has a varied etymology. As you can see, “crisp” is an English word to describe something crunchy. However, the Catalan word encrespado from the Latin “crispus” has a quite similar meaning.
7. Los gallitos
Country of origin: Venezuela
While Venezuelans already have a name for popcorn as you saw above, los gallitos is a name they use in certain regions of the country.
8. El maíz pira
Country of origin: Colombia
Yet another name for popcorn in Colombia, el maíz pira is the chosen name for the snack in Bogotá. On the other hand, the term crispetas is more common in the city of Cali.
The word pira means hoguera (bonfire), and it is part of popcorn’s name in Colombia because people say that they buy raw corn “to burn in the bonfire.”
9. El maíz tote
Country of origin: Colombia
The word tote comes from the Chibcha “btohotynsuca,” which means reventar (to pop, to burst, to blow up).
10. El millo
Country of origin: Panama
Millo has a Portuguese origin—“milho” means maíz (corn).
11. Los pochoclos
Country of origin: Argentina
Choclo comes from the Quechua word “choccllo” which means mazorca de maíz tierna (soft corn cob).
12. El pop
Country of origin: Uruguay
El pop is probably the shortest, yet accurate Spanish word for popcorn in Latin America!
13. Los poporopos
Country of origin: Guatemala
Native to Guatemala, I’ve never understood if poporopo has a fancy etymology. Nonetheless, isn’t that the sound popcorn makes when it’s popping? Exactly, that’s why this name is onomatopoeic.
14. El pororó
Country of origin: Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay
Similar to Guatemalan’s version of popcorn, pororó also comes from the sound they make when popping. It originates from Guaraní.
15. Las rositas de maíz
Country of origin: Cuba, Dominican Republic
As you recall, cocaleca is the Domincans’ name for popcorn as well as another famous snack. It’s probably easier and more specific for you to identify them as las rositas de maíz.
Last but not least, here are the two more popcorn names. These are the most common ways to refer to it, and they are used commonly in neutral Spanish.
See also: What is Neutral or Standard Spanish and Why Does the Media Use It?
16. Las palomitas de maíz
Although this term is a well-known name in Spanish for popcorn, it originates from Mexico.
Palomitas (little pigeons) is the name in Spanish that many generations have used for popcorn. There’s still confusion as to why this name belongs to this snack.
Many claim that it is because popcorn is white like pigeons. Others say that it’s because corn is usually what we use to feed these birds.
17. Las rosetas
This term is one of the most likely to appear in subtitled movies or translated books!
Other Word Variations in Latin America
Latin America is diverse. Due to the varied heritage of the region, several words have variations in every country. Here are some of them!
1. Flip Flops
These casual shoes have several names throughout Latin America!
2. Straws
Even simple objects like drinking straws have tons of names in Latin America, check them out!
3. Snacks
We can’t finish a blog post about popcorn names without checking out the multiple names we give to snacks in Latin America!
Getting ready for your next trip? Check out: A Traveler’s Guide to Hotel Vocabulary in Spanish
Dive Into A New World
While knowing tons of Spanish words for popcorn is fun and interesting, at Homeschool Spanish Academy we teach you so much more. Our one-on-one classes with native Spanish speakers will make you a confident and accurate speaker! Our professors are highly qualified to teach you about not only grammar but also useful structures to make you sound more natural as you speak.
Make your trips memorable by speaking the language of the country you visit! As you speak to the locals and make an extra effort to understand their language, you get the chance to meet new people and see even more places than you had planned. Sign up for a free trial class today to find out how quickly you can improve your Spanish skills!
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