Netflix and smell: this Czech stinky-cheese popcorn makes the perfect snack for weekend streaming

Looking for the perfect snack to enjoy with a Czech movie?

Look no further than this tvarůžky-flavored popcorn from Czech startup Bopcorn, made with real Olomoucké tvarůžky: the divisively pungent Czech cheese that is one of the country's few food products registered as a Protected Geographical Indication by the European Union.

Using a special process that results in a no-fat product (similar to tvaroh, or quark), the strong odor that emanates from the ripe cheese has divided foreign palates, but it's one of the most distinctive products to come of the Czech Republic.

We've seen the classic Czech cheese pop up in other food products over the years - from various tvarůžky-inspired pastries at the cafe next to the Olomoucké tvarůžky factory in to a tvarůžky-flavored ice cream that became the rage a few years back - but this is the first time we've seen it in a popcorn.

In addition to the tvarůžky popcorn, Bopcorn also has cheddar and garlic versions. On the sweet side, the company makes coffee, salted caramel, peanut, strawberry, and numerous other varieties, all made from authentic locally-sourced ingredients.

"You will not find semi-finished products with us," Bopcorn's Michal Klimas told Forbes.cz in a recent interview.

"We develop all glazes and mixtures ourselves and look for Czech raw materials, we cooperate with a local chocolate producer, a coffee roaster, a beekeeper and the like.”

Based in Ostrava, Bopcorn got their start selling popcorn at farmers' markets throughout the country last year. As the coronavirus pandemic hit earlier this year, they switched business models and established an online e-shop as an alternative.

Forced into a different business model due to the crisis, they unexpectedly saw surges in demand for their products.

"In order to satisfy all customers, we had to produce 12 hours a day, so now we are looking for a large new space to improve the method and speed of production," co-owner Adina Bálková told Forbes.

"All profits, in the order of tens of thousands of crowns, have so far been immediately invested back into the company. Given the rapid pace of development, it is not possible otherwise if we do not want to stagnate."

You can order the tvarůžky-flavored popcorn, or one of a number of other flavors, from the official Bopcorn e-shop.