14 Spanish Language Words for POPCORN

1. palomitas de maíz: This is the basic Spanish and generic term for popcorn. You can simply saypalomitas. The literal translation of the Spanish word palomita is “little pigeon.”

2. rosetas:  This is another generic term for popcorn. The word “roseta” is used by the Royal Spanish Academy to define the word palomitas.

You might get around with palomitas or rosetas, but if you travel to the following countries you will hear these Spanish words for popcorn:

3. pochoclos: Argentina

4. cabritas: Chile

5. pororó: Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay

6. pop: Uruguay

7. cotufas: Venezuela

8. crispetas: Colombia. According to the Diccionario de Americanismos, the word crispetas is considered obsolete. This term is also used in Colombia and Nicaragua to refer to the sweet popcorn made withpanela or unrefined sugar. A similar candy made with popcorn in form of a ball is called alboroto in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Colombia (alborotos) and Costa Rica.

9. cocaleca: Dominican Republic. Also spelled cocaleka.

10. maíz pira: Colombia

11. poporopo: Guatemala

12. canchitas: Peru

13. canguil: Ecuador

14. pipoca: Bolivia and Argentina (northeast). This is a Portuguese word.

The English word popcorn is commonly used in the following Latin American countries: Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Bolivia and Uruguay.