Published on March 26th, 2011 | by Mark Chesnut
0Popcorn: One Food, Many Ways to Say It in Spanish
If you’ve got a hankering for a brimming tub of hot popcorn in Latin America, you might want to consult with a local before heading to the counter at the movie theater. Popcorn may be one of life’s simple pleasures, but in Spanish, there are an array of different terms for it, depending on the nationality of the person who’s speaking.
So grab your ticket stub, head out into the lobby and confidently place your order, using this handy guide:
Argentina: pochoclo, tutuca
Bolivia: pipoca
Canary Islands: cotufa
Chile: cabrita
Colombia: crispetas or maíz pira
Cuba: rositas de maíz
Dominican Republic: cocaleca
Ecuador: canguil
Guatemala: poporopo
Mexico: palomitas de maíz
Panama: millo or popcorn
Paraguay: pororó
Peru: canchita
Puerto Rico: popcorn or poscon
Spain: tostón
Uruguay: pop
Venezuela: cotufa or gallito
Am I leaving out anything? Please let me know so I can expand this! (Also, please let me know what other terms we should feature that vary from country to country.)
Check out my additional posts about regional Spanish terms:
• The Many Ways to Say “Drinking Straw” in Spanish
• Cool Ways to Say “Cool” in Spanish
• Texting and Instant Messaging in Spanish

