Speaking as a fourth-generation carnie (as in, my great-grandfather built and ran a merry-go-round in Port Dover, Ontario that became a family midway until about a decade ago), and speaking as someone who spent almost a decade of summers working in a family-owned candy floss (cotton candy for Americans) trailer that sold popcorn, I can tell you that Flavacol really is key. It’s extremely finely ground salt and flavourings that when applied to hot popcorn (feel free to mix it in with the oil, it’s what the big machines do anyway) creates that authentic flavour.
coconut oil (flavoured is fine but make sure it doesn’t taste like coconut!) or peanut oil also matter. In the big machines butter and coconut oil are combined into what look like butter sticks - you add a stick of that, popcorn, and flavacol to the kettle, and voila - proper popcorn.
Congrats on recreating that at home so successfully!
