While the movie industry prepares to give out its golden statues on Oscar night, let us take a moment to recognize some outstanding recent notable achievements in the popcorn industry.

Homegrown talent: Jamie Foxx may be an Oscar favorite in Atlanta with his turn as Georgia-bred music legend Ray Charles, but Atlanta Gourmet Popcorn's line boasts six locally inspired roles on its Web site. Tastes like the Hot'Lanta (Cajun), Peachtree Street (caramel) and Yellow Jackets (butter) bring a literal flavor of the city inside each of its 2-gallon gift tins. Its cheddar cheese-flavored corn takes on the title of "The A.U. Center," while its plain creation is simply named "I-85." With the interstate's penchant for congested traffic, let's hope for smooth digestion.

RICH ADDICKS/AJC (ENLARGE)
Eve Lemon, owner of Nature's Popcorn which makes RastaPop popcorn.
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PC popcorn award: The Atlanta-based RastaPop is attempting to take the dread out of popcorn consumption. Founder and Chief Executive Officer Eve Lemon used her aunt Margaret's recipe and gave it a healthier overhaul. Lemon steers her organic snack clear of preservatives, trans fats and hydrogenated oils, offering a vegan snack available in a handful of flavors (Hot Curry, Spicy Garlic, Mellow Herb, Sweet Ginger). Bags of RastaPop bounce around town with the buoyancy of a Hacky Sack, from corporate entities like Publix and Kroger to groovier grocers like Sevananda and Return to Eden.

Special effects: Warren Struhl and Richard Demb, the Manhattan entrepreneurs behind Dale & Thomas Popcorn, are the Captain Kirks of the kernel. They go where no man has gone before, trading in flavors from classic kettle to Cinnamon Raisin Swirl. They also transform popcorn, marshmallows and chocolate or peanut butter into Indiana Truffles, and make Popcorn Pops, decadent 5-ounce hunks of caramel popcorn covered in milk chocolate and streaked with vanilla icing on wooden sticks.

Technical merit: Diving fingers-first into a mound of popcorn often has your digits coming up for air covered in a salty, buttery film. That's where the Popcorn Fork comes in. This outrageous invention is a cross between a pair of fused-together chopsticks and a set of tongs. Its grasping end is capable of grabbing a wad of corn or even a slab of sushi. And if your popcorn is in need of a flavor injection, a refillable built-in salt shaker is on the other end. Its Web site dubs it "the most unique eating utensil since the Dark Ages." A bold claim for sure, but playing with your food never looked so fun.

Guest appearance by a rap artist: Just when you thought there couldn't be another rap product tie-in comes RapSnacks — bags of chips and popcorn plastered with the mugs of some of today's popular acts. Warren G has his own nacho cheese chip, while Lil Romeo shills honey barbecue potato chips. And Atlanta rapper Pastor Troy's Hot Cheezie Popcorn is sold on the RapSnacks site in boxes containing 40 1-ounce bags. Wonder if the tough and tattooed Troy will lose a bit of street cred as he joins up with the likes of Cheetos' Chester Cheetah?

Trendiest restaurant recipe: When Sheri Davis, chef/owner of Dish (870 N. Highland Ave. N.E., in Virginia-Highland), was crafting her menu, she wanted fun, snacky food that customers could enjoy while chatting. The menu evolved into a tapas spinoff, and one of the first items to make the cut was popcorn. Rosemary bushes line Dish's parking lot, so Davis and her husband, Bando Davis, devised Rosemary Popcorn. The popcorn is popped the old-fashioned way in a kettle with homemade rosemary oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. "It's fun to do at home," Davis said. "I have two kids, and they love it. It smells the house up really beautifully."

— Jon Waterhouse