Popcorn, as Much Fun to Make as it is to Eat!

Popcorn, as Much Fun to Make as it is to Eat!

Popcorn is a fun snack, commonly associated with a trip to the movie theater. But what are the

origins of this tasty treat? 

Believe it or not, evidence of popcorn can be traced back to the Neolithic era in South and

Central America (~4500 BC). Popcorn quickly spread north. 

In 1948, two archaeologists happened upon  small corn heads and popped kernels while

exploring a cave in New Mexico. This popcorn was carbondated to 3600 BC. Mexican pottery

believed to be from 300 AD depicts scenes of a corn god with popcorn on his head. 700 years

later, in about 1000 AD, Pueblo Indians in Utah began eating popcorn. In Mexico, Indians

would actually beat the popcorn to a powder, store it in little pouches on their belts, and use

it as a high-energy snack to fuel them as they worked. In the late 1600s, French explorers

discovered that Iroquois Indians in the Great Lakes region enjoyed popcorn. English colonists

also favored the snack, but in much different ways than we do in the 21st century.

They consumed it as a breakfast cereal, accompanied in the bowl by milk and sugar, or as little

balls dipped in molasses. This would have a version of our modern-day trail mix. In fact, by the

1800s, popcorn was the most popular snack in North America. It was usually homemade.

The snack also began appearing on the shelves of general stores in the 1800s. In 1885, a man

by the name of Charles Cretors invented the popcorn machine. It was powered by gasoline,

much like a car. Because of the creation of the machine, popcorn quickly became a common

street food. Usually, popcorn vendors looked for large crowds to make better popcorn sales.

They were commonly found in front of movie theaters, thus leading to the connection between

the movies and munching on popcorn. When the Great Depression hit, devastating the nation’s

economy, popcorn was one of the few snacks people could afford. World War II was not far

behind and it led to the rationing of many things, including sugar and cocoa. This turn of events

only advanced popcorn’s popularity. By 1959,  a company, eager to make money, had decided

that popcorn was too difficult for people to make at home in a pot. Jiffy Pop began selling pre-

packaged popcorn. The front of the package has ‘BUTTER’ plastered to the front, but after

studying the ingredients, it is evident that Jiffy Pop contains no butter. the ingredie    

But, no matter whether your popcorn is made at home or store-bought, we can all agree that it is a

tasty treat and  “as much fun to make as it is to eat.”