Popcorn
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Popcorn popped |
Popcorn or
popping corn is a type of
maize which puffs up when it is heated in oil or by dry heat. Special varieties of corn are grown to give improved popping yield. Some wild types will pop, but the cultivated strain is
Zea mays subsp.
mays, which is a special kind of
flint corn. In 1948, popcorn ears dating back 5,600-years were discovered in bat caves in New Mexico.
[*Popcorn History] Popcorn was first formerly developed by
Native Americans thousands of years ago.
Popcorn was introduced to the Europeans in the late
15th century when
Christopher Columbus noted that the Native Americans made popcorn corsages and popcorn headdresses which they sold to Columbus' sailors. French explorers, around the year 1612, in the Great Lakes region documented use of popcorn by the
Iroquois who popped corn in pottery using hot sand. They also reported that during an Iroquois dinner, popcorn soup and popcorn beer were consumed.
By the late
19th century, popcorn was being sold in the
United States commercially.
Popcorn has become a popular
snack food all over the world. Early North American colonists loved popcorn so much, that they actually served it for breakfast with sugar and cream. This represents the first puffed
breakfast cereal.
In
Europe and
America, popcorn is particularly common in
movie theaters. It is often served with
butter and
salt or butter flavored soy extract. It is also sometimes flavored with
sugar (especially in the
United Kingdom and
Germany),
nutritional yeast, or spices. In the United States it is sometimes served with sugar and
vinegar.
Popcorn balls (popped kernels stuck together with a sugary "glue") were hugely popular around the turn of the 20th century, but their popularity has since waned. Popcorn balls are still served in some places as a traditional
Halloween treat.
Cracker Jack is a popular, commercially produced candy that consists of
peanuts mixed in with
caramel-covered popcorn.
Kettle corn is a variation of normal popcorn, cooked with white sugar and salt, traditionally in a large copper kettle. Once reserved for specialty shops and county fairs, kettle corn has recently become popular, especially in the
microwave popcorn market. The
Popcorn maker is a relatively new
Home appliance and their popularity is increasing because they offer the opportunity to add flavours of your own choice and choose healthy eating popcorn.
Some popular brands of popcorn in the United States are
Orville Redenbacher's,
Act II,
Jiffy Pop (all three of which are brands of the
ConAgra Foods conglomerate),
Pop Secret,
Jolly Time,
Aussie Crunch,
Newman's Own, and
Black Jewell, a premium brand.
As with all
cereal grains, each kernel of popcorn contains a certain amount of moisture in its
starchy
endosperm. Unlike most other grains, the outer hull, or
pericarp, of the popcorn kernel is thick and impervious to moisture.
As the kernel is heated past the boiling point, water in the kernel begins to turn to steam, generating an internal pressure of about 9
atm. In kernels of other grains (and in damaged kernels of popcorn), this steam escapes as fast as it forms, but in the tightly sealed popcorn kernel, the steam is held tight by the pericarp and the pressure starts to build until the pericarp suddenly ruptures, causing a small explosion. The force of the explosion turns the kernel inside out. More importantly, because the moisture is evenly distributed throughout the starchy endosperm, the sudden expansion turns the endosperm into an airy foam which gives popcorn its unique texture.
Two explanations exist for kernels which do not pop, known in the popcorn industry as "old maids," after being exposed to high temperatures. The first is that unpopped kernels do not have enough moisture to create enough steam for an explosion. The second explanation, according to research led by Dr. Bruce Hamaker of
Purdue University, is that the unpopped kernel may have a leaky hull.
*
Indiana produces more popcorn than any other state in the US.
*Popcorn has been served in movie theaters since
1912.
*The first popcorn, made by Native Americans, was flavored with dried
herbs &
spices.
*The average popping temperature for popcorn is around 175°
C (347°
F)
*The commercial popcorn machine was invented in
Chicago, Illinois by
Charles Cretors in 1885.
*Stringing popcorn to hang on a tree or to deck walls with is a popular Christmas Tradition in some parts of North America.
*At least four localities claim to be the "Popcorn Capital of the World":
Marion, Ohio;
Ridgway, Illinois;
Schaller, Iowa; and
North Loup, Nebraska.
* In Spanish, popcorn's name varies by region, resulting in more than 10 names differing by country. (For more information, see [
1])
* Popcorn is often related to movies as a munching item and there will be a stall selling popcorn in almost every theatre.
* Popcorn is the official state snack of
Illinois.
[http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=News&id=404205]*
Kettle corn*
Caramel corn*
Cracker Jack*
Popcorn bag*
Dale and Thomas Popcorn*
Popcorn lung*
Popcorn Board (U.S.)*
American Popcorn Company history*
Wyandot Popcorn Museum, Marion, OH*
Pop Secret Mountain - Follow the adventures of Kaptain Kat as he searches for Pop Secret Mountain.
