While traveling in Japan in 1989, a California farmer and almond processor named Steve Gikas witnessed a process of roasting Peruvian corn. The product was so impressive that Gikas purchased the recipe and returned to Ripon, California with plans to build his own corn processing plant.
The first salted corn snack to run through the facility in 1996 was purchased from Mexico and Peru. The original variety of corn seed used to create California Nuggets is over 1000 years old. Gikas then blended this old world seed variety with an American corn seed to produce an unique plump kernel resulting in a delicious salted corn snack.
Soon the new seed variety was planted here in California. In the year 2000 a California version of product was offered to the domestic and international marketplace under the California Nuggets label. The response was overwhelming. Seeing the potential for growth, Mr. Gikas began to commission more growers to expand the availability of the new light crunch, salty snack corn variety extending to midwest growers as well.
California Nuggets Inc.
