Pop Goes the Corn

Today is National Popcorn Day, and it's been around a long time. Popcorn is believed to have originated among the native populations of Mexico, where it was domesticated from a wild grass about 9,000 years ago. In fact, most experts think popcorn may have been the first domesticated corn. Native Americans were great traders, however, and the plant spread. Corncobs have even been found in the ancient sites of Peru. The legend that the Europeans found it when Columbus made his discoveries is unsubstantiated. 

Colonists first cooked popcorn in wire baskets over a fire, which made the treat seem dry and bland. In the late 1800's, the invention of popcorn machines, flavored popcorn, and popcorn cooked in oil and salted made it more appealing. Yet, it was during the Great Depression that the snack gained the most popularity, because it was considered fairly inexpensive at five to ten cents for a large unpopped bag of kernels. Because of this, it also became a source of income for struggling farmers. 

During World War II, sugar rations caused a shortage of candy, and Americans ate three times more popcorn than before the war. After the war, electric popcorn poppers became the rage. However, in the absence of such an appliance, a skillet with a lid slid about on a range top worked fine. Today, most families microwave a bag of popcorn specially prepared for microwave popping.

Popcorn is considered healthy if not too much is added to it. Some nutritionists warn that the microwave variety is not as good as the natural kernels, but the convenience of the microwave has kept it popular. Today Americans consume about 4 billion gallons of popcorn a year. Let's have a bowl of popcorn to celebrate the day.

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