Dating back to 3600 B.C., popcorn is one of the oldest and most beloved snacks in the world. If you're a popcorn lover, you'll certainly enjoy the fact that January 19th is National Popcorn Day - a time for celebrating the puffed kernels and showcasing the snack's incredible versatility. If you're looking for a new recipe to try out, keep reading to discover ways you can wow your friends and family by transforming this age-old food into a gourmet treat.

Firstly, though popcorn is often associated with butter and salt (i.e. the kind you eat at the cinema), it can also be a sweet treat. Caramel corn, thought to be first introduced at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, has delighted popcorn fans for generations. Adding to this sweet popcorn tradition, a range of new sugary recipes has emerged in the wake of the current popcorn renaissance. One of the tastiest of those recipes is "Turtle Corn," which basically involves covering standard popcorn kernels in milk chocolate and caramel.

Another angle you can take on popcorn is to liven it up a notch with a bit of hot spices. After you've popped your kernels on the stovetop in hot oil, you can stir in spicy ground pepper (cayenne or just black pepper) and a bit of paprika. For an addition bit of savoury flavour, you can grate some cheddar or parmesan cheese into the hot popcorn so that it melts into a delicious topping. Not only is this spicy recipe a good choice for celebrating National Popcorn Day, but it is also the perfect alternative to nachos if you're looking for an exciting appetiser to serve guests when you're entertaining.

A bowl full of popcorn doesn't have to be a bowl full of calories. In fact, on its own, popcorn is actually quite a healthy treat. It is the adding of butter, salt, sugar, cheese and other toppings that can make popcorn a very calorific snack. If you want to indulge in some popcorn without using up too much of your daily calorie intake, you can try this healthy recipe: popcorn trail-mix. Just like standard trail-mix, this recipe involves adding dried fruit and nuts to lightly salted popcorn to make a protein-filled snack that is sure to give you energy throughout the day.

Thus, National Popcorn Day is a great excuse to try out a new popcorn recipe. However, if going gourmet isn't your style, you can always stick to the classic butter and salt recipe that has given popcorn its good name.

Peter Rose writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.