What Are Popped Water Lily Seeds, And Why Are They Showing Up In The Snack Aisle?
Nearly every snack that calls itself healthy fails the same three tests. A mother and son in Los Angeles built one that passes all three, using a seed most Americans have never heard of.
The first time most people see them, they assume it is popcorn. It is not. It is not corn at all, and it is not a grain. The round ivory puffs in the bag are seeds from a water lily, and they have been eaten in India for centuries under a name most Americans have never come across: makhana.
That unfamiliarity is doing a lot of work right now. Shoppers who have spent years flipping bags over to read the back of the label are running out of options in the snack aisle, and a snack made from something they have never heard of turns out to be exactly what they were looking for.
“The perfect crunchy snack with only healthy ingredients. Easy to find at Whole Foods or order by mail directly from the manufacturer. Prompt service & delivery.”
First: the three tests almost every snack fails
Walk the snack aisle with a clear head and most bags drop out of the running for one of three reasons. They are worth naming, because once you see them you cannot unsee them.
Ingredient quality
What is printed on the back, in words a person can recognize without a chemistry degree. Seed oils, added sugar, and artificial preservatives are the three that end the conversation. Most bags fail here before you get any further.
Calories, measured honestly
Not calories per “serving” where the serving is a third of the bag. Calories for the amount a real person actually eats in one sitting, which is the whole bag.
Allergens
Gluten. Corn. Grain. Soy. Nuts. For a household managing even one of these, most of the snack aisle is simply off the table, and the free-from options tend to taste like the compromise they are.
Hold those three up against a standard bag of chips and the math gets uncomfortable fast. Fried in seed oil. Roughly 150 calories per one-ounce serving, and almost nobody eats one ounce. Corn or potato base.
Popcorn does better on calories, which is why so many people default to it. But popcorn is a grain, it is usually cooked in oil, and it comes with the part everyone hates: the hulls that wedge into your gums for the rest of the evening.
“These water lily seed pods are a delightful snack. I find them more satisfying than popcorn. Calorie count is reasonable for the whole package.”Sharada M., verified buyer
So what is a popped water lily seed?
Exactly what it sounds like, and it is not new. Makhana has been part of Indian kitchens for centuries. It appears in Ayurvedic tradition, it turns up at festivals, and it is the kind of thing an Indian grandmother keeps in a tin on the counter.
The seeds grow in shallow water. They are harvested by hand, dried, then popped with heat. Not fried, not extruded, not puffed with pressure and starch. The seed simply bursts open into a light, round, airy puff about the size of a marble.
Because of how they are made, a few things never enter the bag at all:
- No corn. No grain. No gluten. The seed is the entire base.
- No deep fryer, which means no seed oil bath.
- No hull or kernel left behind. The whole thing is edible.
- Very low density, so a full bag weighs almost nothing in calories.
The texture is what wins people over. The closest comparisons are a cheese puff or Pirate's Booty, but lighter, and with a cleaner finish. One buyer put it more simply than any of that:
“They pretty much melt in your mouth.”Fidji F., verified buyer
The mother and son who brought them here
AshaPops was not built by a food conglomerate. It was started by Asha Farswani, who grew up eating popped water lily seeds in India, and her son Jai. They still pop and season them in Los Angeles.
It began the way a lot of good food companies begin, at a kitchen counter, with a problem nobody had solved yet. Asha wanted something to eat in the evening that she would not regret an hour later. The snacks within reach, the heavily coated and brightly colored ones, kept letting her down. So she went back to the thing she had eaten as a child.
When Jai started bringing them to farmers markets, he assumed the problem was specific to his mother. It was not. Woman after woman described the same evening, and the same short list of things she was willing to eat.
“I grew up eating popped water lily seeds in India. Light, crunchy, satisfying. My son Jai and I now pop and season them in LA for our AshaPops family to enjoy.”Asha Farswani, co-founder
What is actually in the bag
The Vegan Cheese flavor, their most popular, contains five things: popped water lily seeds, nutritional yeast, onion powder, sea salt, and extra virgin olive oil. That is the entire list.
“Being whole foods plant-based, I try to eat pretty cleanly. This will be one of my new indulgences. The ‘cheese’ flavor is my favorite although they are all super yummy. One package is only 4 to 4.5 grams of fat so yay!”
A registered dietitian in the review set put it more bluntly:
“Must have bought 1000 bags of these! As a dietitian, they're a great crunch and flavor for low cal. I get this flavor and salt as no seed oils. Also a wonderful family owned company.”
How it stacks up
| AshaPops | Typical popcorn | Typical chips | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Satisfying crunchThe reason you reach for it | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CaloriesPer 1 oz bag | 120 | ✓ | ✗ |
| Free fromGluten, corn, grain | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| No seed oil bathBaked, never fried | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| No kernels or hullsNothing stuck in your teeth | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
Free-from claims describe AshaPops. General comparison to conventional products; individual products vary. Made in a facility that processes gluten, dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts and soybeans.
Available at select Whole Foods, Erewhon and Natural Grocers locations. Non-GMO Project Verified and OU Kosher certified.
Pick a flavor first, then decide
There are four, and they are genuinely different from one another. Most people find one they love and one they are indifferent to, which is why the variety pack exists.
About the price
AshaPops cost more than a bag of chips, and it is worth explaining why rather than hoping nobody notices.
Water lily seeds are harvested by hand from shallow water. There is no combine harvester for this crop. They are then popped and seasoned in small batches in Los Angeles instead of being run through an industrial extruder. All of that costs meaningfully more than making a corn puff, and the price reflects it.
Two things are worth weighing against that.
The first is that the bag is the serving. This sounds like a small point and it is not. A bag of chips says 150 calories and means a third of the bag. This says 120 and means all of it, which changes the real cost per snack more than the shelf price suggests.
The second is that people tend not to eat these the way they eat chips. The pattern buyers describe is one bag, in the evening, as a deliberate thing, rather than a bag torn open over the sink.
If that is not how you snack, this may not be the right product for you, and no amount of copy should convince you otherwise. If it is, the per-bag cost drops on the multipacks and on subscription, which is how most repeat customers buy.
“I've tried all flavors now and my favorite is still the cheese but I honestly love them all. It's so nice to have a light, crunchy but airy healthy, low calorie snack! I wish they weren't so expensive, but I truly absolutely love these!”
Get a free variety pack with your first purchase
All four flavors, on the house, so you can find the one you actually want to keep buying before you commit to it.
Claim the free variety pack★★★★★ 4.6 average · 1,200+ verified reviews · Non-GMO Project Verified · OU Kosher
What buyers say after a few weeks
“I'll be honest, these were a delightful surprise. I wasn't sure what to expect, but they are a bit like popcorn, but crunchier with a great crunchy texture. I did not expect them to be this good!”
“High volume for being a standard 28g serving and only 100 kcals as per the more standard 160 from other snacks for the same weight. Got my box in and ate all four in a sitting it was so good.”
“Always looking for healthy and tasty midday snacks for me and the kids. The snacks really do taste good with a nice cheese flavor. Additionally, the kids tried the snacks and they loved the taste too.”
“Awesome low-calorie snack. They are great to keep in a work bag or the car and satisfy the need for a salty crunch without a whole lot of extra fat.”
“Have been looking for something crunchy, flavorful and low cal. These little tidbits hit the mark on all three!”
Common questions
What do they actually taste like?
Light and airy with a firm crunch, closest to a cheese puff or Pirate's Booty in texture, but cleaner tasting and without the greasy finish. The seasoning is deliberately on the milder side. Several buyers noted the flavor builds as you eat more rather than hitting you on the first bite.
How many calories are in a bag?
120 calories in the entire 1 oz bag. The bag is the serving, not a fraction of one.
What is on the ingredient list?
Depending on flavor: popped water lily seeds, extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil, sea salt or Himalayan pink salt, and the seasoning (nutritional yeast, onion powder, turmeric, garlic, chili). No seed oils, no grains, no added sugar, no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.
Are they gluten-free, vegan, and allergen-friendly?
Yes. Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, corn-free, soy-free, paleo-friendly, Non-GMO Project Verified and OU Kosher certified. Made in a facility that also processes gluten, dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts and soybeans, so check the label if you have a severe allergy.
Which flavor should I start with?
Vegan Cheese is the most popular by a wide margin. If you are unsure, the variety pack includes all four so you are not committing to a single flavor sight unseen. That is the most common first order.
Can I buy them in a store?
They are stocked at select Whole Foods Market, Erewhon and Natural Grocers locations, and availability varies by store and by flavor. Ordering direct gets you the full range and free shipping on subscriptions or orders over $75.
Four flavors. Five ingredients. 120 calories a bag.
Made in Los Angeles by a mother and son who eat them every night. Get a free variety pack with your first purchase.
Claim the free variety packFree shipping on subscriptions or orders $75+