Johnson's Popcorn

What it is: Caramel corn - and a variety of derivatives such as the summer-fair-favorite kettle corn and commercially packaged products such as Cracker Jack and Crunch 'n Munch - has been around for a long time. But on the Ocean City and Wildwood Boardwalks, the king of sweet caramel perfection wrapped around a salty popcorn heart is the kind that comes in big plastic tubs from Johnson's Popcorn.

Since the first stand opened on the Ocean City Boardwalk 75 years ago, the company has passed through the hands of four owners and has been producing the confection on-site at its locations. Over the years, new flavors such as Peanut Crunch, Chocolate Drizzle, Cheddar, and Salty-n-Sandy - which is a combination of caramel and cheddar - have been added to the menu. But hands down, the original caramel flavor is what most people still stand in line for, says Rebecca Juzwiak, vice president of Johnson's Popcorn.

When it got here: The un-caramelized kettle-corn variety of the treat may have been around in North America since colonial times, but it wasn't until after the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, where Cracker Jack was introduced, that the concept of mixing popcorn, sugar, and molasses became a de rigueur snack offering on boardwalks up and down the Eastern Seaboard.

By 1940, so popular was the snack food that the Johnson family set up shop selling nothing but caramel popcorn. Now, there are three locations in Ocean City - at 660, 828, and 1360 Boardwalk - and one at 2701 Boardwalk in Wildwood.

Why it's so tasty: Precisely how Johnson's Popcorn is made is a highly guarded secret - for which employees are required to sign a waiver promising never to reveal the process - although batches, as needed, are made pretty much out in the open at the rear of the boardwalk stands.

"We don't have a big warehouse where it's produced," Juzwiak says. "We still make it very old-school in small batches in copper kettles."

That means that, when you buy a tub on the boardwalk, the popcorn is often still a little warm as it is being scooped into your tub for take-home. Ingredients include a high-grade air-popped popcorn, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, vegetable shortening, water, and salt. Employees, Juzwiak says, either have a knack for the almost-magical process that turns the simple ingredients into the liquid gold that is caramel - or they don't. "When you are working with caramel," she says, "things can go very wrong very fast."

Insider tip: When you step up to the counter to satisfy your Johnson's Popcorn cravings, order your tub, and are asked whether you want the lid on or off, just answer "off." Your tub will be placed in a large plastic baggie and scoop-filled so full that caramel corn will be spilling over the sides - providing plenty of extra sustenance for the ride home from the boardwalk. And beyond.

@JacquelineUrgo www.philly.com/downashore