Ah, popcorn. The tasty movie snack we all know and love. It's delicious and fun to watch it pop in the microwave for 2 minutes or so. It's so weird, but we all love it. Ever wonder WHY it pops?
The Native Americans discovered popcorn thousands of years ago. Some people thought the popping noises were from an angry god escaping the kernel. (Gods are tasty!) We discovered the tasty snack known as popcorn in the 1600s.
Popcorn was fairly cheap back in the day; it didn't cost more than a dime. Did you know?
- During World War 2, people ate three times more popcorn than before.
- Six places are the Popcorn Capital on the world: Valparaiso, Indiana, Van Buren, Indiana, Marian, Ohio, Ridgway, Illinois, Schaller, Iowa, and North Loup, Nebraska.
- Popcorn, in the result of an elementary school project, is the official snack food of Illinois.
- Each kernel has a certain amount of moisture and oil.
The oil and water in the popcorn are heated past boiling point. Then the moisture turns into a very, very hot sort of steam with moisture-proof hull. The starch inside the kernel gelatinizes, softening it. The pressure goes up until the breaking point of the hull is up.
Popcorn is usually sold in movie theaters, and has been since 1972. It's usually served buttered or salted. But we here in North America we also have caramel corn, which is my personal favorite. The Boy Scouts sell it, similar to the Girl Scout and cookies.
Popcorn is naturally healthy, with no salt, low fat, sugar-free and a good source of fiber. I would say it's a good and hardy snack. If you're dieting, I'd say stuff your face with this. But adding lots of fat, sugar, and salt will make it NOT recommended for diets.
Well, that was tempting, wasn't it?
I think I'll go get some popcorn while curling up in the sofa watching a good movie.
~ galaxy7
Author's Note: Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popcorn
