What is popcorn salad? Viral recipe by chef Molly Yeh horrifies the internet

The dish, which combines popcorn, mayonnaise, sour cream and green peas, has been garnering extreme reactions online

Chef Molly Yeh's popcorn salad recipe on Food Network has been ridiculed online. Photo: Food Network

The internet can be a strange and mysterious place when it comes to food trends.

Over the past few years, we've had platforms such as TikTok and Instagram to thank for the popularity of the most bizarre-sounding dishes – from pancake cereal to raindrop cakes.

But, just when you think you’ve seen it all, something so outlandish pops up that it warrants a pause to figure out exactly what's going on.

This time, it’s Food Network that's under fire after it posted a recipe and video from one of its chefs, Molly Yeh. The dish? Popcorn salad – and, yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like.

The recipe combines popcorn with mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, Dijon mustard, peas, carrot, celery and watercress, among other ingredients.

"It's so Midwestern, so quirky and so delicious," Yeh is seen saying in a video posted on social media and viewed more than 1.7 million times.

However, the internet has widely disagreed, with many calling the dish an abomination.

"Got to be a parody," one Twitter user posted.

Another user called it "popcorn violence".

One fan wondered if the coronavirus pandemic was to blame for Yeh's creation.

While another compared it to some people's concerns about Covid-19 vaccines.

Other than the bizarre ingredient combination, one of the biggest issues seems to be about how the salad stays fresh. After all, it would stand to reason that a salad dressing of mayonnaise and sour cream would made the popcorn soggy.

And, as many have pointed out, there is absolutely nothing appealing about soggy popcorn.

While the video was posted weeks ago, it’s now picking up steam. Some have questioned whether Yeh herself likes the dish, with others suggesting recreating it to see if it’s actually any good.

To find out whether that happens, we’ll just have to wait and watch – so grab some popcorn (but maybe hold the salad).

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