Popcorn Trivia

Popcorn pops because water is stored in a small circle of soft starch in each kernel. As the kernel is heated, the water heats, the droplet of moisture turns to steam and the steam builds up pressure until the kernel finally explodes to many times its original volume.

Corn was first grown about 7000 years ago in the highlands of central Mexico, and by the first century B.C. was a staple crop of all the agricultural peoples in the Americas. One of the first uses of corn kernels was for popping.

The oldest ears of popping corn were discovered in a bat cave in New Mexico; they are over 5,500 years old.

A shortage of baking flours after World War II forced breadmakers to substitute up to 25% of wheat flour with ground popped popcorn. Over the years, popcorn also has been used as an ingredient in pudding, candy, soup, salad and entrees. 

Popcorn was actually the first food to be microwaved deliberately. In 1946 Dr. Percy Spencer of the Raytheon Corporation was experimenting with a magnetron (a new type of vacuum tube) when he noticed that the chocolate candy bar in his pocket had melted. He was curious, so he placed some popcorn kernels next to the magnetron and turned it on - the popcorn popped. After experimenting with various other food items (including an egg that exploded!), he and Ratheon realized they were on to something and continued on to develop the first microwave oven.

Threading popcorn onto a string is a very common Christmas tree decoration during tough times.

The world’s largest popcorn ball weighed 3,415 pounds and was 8 foot in diameter and 24.6 feet around. It was unveiled in October 2006 in Lake Forest, Illinois.

The “Popcorn Capital of the World” is claimed by at least six mid-western states in the United States, but the majority of popcorn is grown in Nebraska and Indiana. Texas production is on the rise.

The Chinese have another method for popping popcorn. The corn is placed into a large cast iron container and sealed. It is turned over a fire on a rotisserie. When the pressure gauge indicates its ready, they remove it from the fire, put a canvas sack over the lid and release the seal. It makes a huge boom as all of the popcorn explodes at once. (see video below)

Kernels that do not pop at the correct temperature where they should are known in the popcorn industry as “old maids”. A popped kernel is known a “flake”. The flakes come in two shapes. They are either ball-shaped cauliflower looking balls with few wings called mushrooms, or they are butterfly flakes where they have protruding wings or offshoots. The butterfly flakes have a better mouth feel, but because the mushroom flakes are sturdier, they are the ones manufacturers tend to use in packaged popcorn. One cob can produce both kinds of kernels, but they have also developed corn varieties that produce 100% of one variety.

In the same way that Girl Scouts are known for selling cookies, the Boy Scouts are known for selling popcorn as their big fundraiser.

Courtesy of Hubpages