Popcorn is a unique snack food in that it is very often considered to be a healthy snack and is not termed a “junk food” as some snacks are. The nutritional analysis shows that popcorn is comparable to rice cakes which are generally considered to be a healthful snack.
Popcorn pops when it is heated to the correct temperature. That heating can be accomplished in several different ways, popping in Hot Oil, popping in Hot Air, and popping in Microwave Ovens.
Although nearly every one has popped corn at home in a pot the average person knows very little about the why popcorn pops and what affects the process.
Historically popcorn was only grown in the United States. Today popcorn is grown all over the world. While the majority is still grown in the United States a significant amount is now produced in Argentina, Australia, South Africa, Ukraine, and many of the European countries. Popcorn may be grown wherever other hybrids of corn are grown. One of the largest contributors to popcorn quality is the processing that the corn is subjected to after the corn is picked. In this area the United States processors usually have more experience than those in other parts of the world.
Many people will ask the question. “What do you do to make corn Pop? The quick reply is “Heat it”. What many do not realize is that popcorn is a particular kind of corn, only popcorn will pop. Other types of corn can be puffed with special mechanical processes but only Popcorn or a close relative can be popped on its own without special equipment.
Popcorn is the original puffed snack food. Popcorn is also probably the oldest snack food in the in the world. Corn has been a basic food source to the inhabitants of the American continents for over 5000 years. Today corn has been cultivated so long that the original wild grains are hard to find. All the Native Americans ate corn as a staple part of their diet. They also ate popcorn. The oldest positively identified corn popper’s date from about 300 AD along the Northeast coast of Peru. The oldest written record is from the Spaniards in 1650. The early American pioneers cultivated popcorn along with dent corn. Dent corn was used for cornbread, and popcorn was used as a breakfast cereal.
