POPCORN HISTORY

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What is the history of popcorn?

Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Dont you love the smell of fresh popped corn? Popcorns history dates back over 5,000 years ago. Its believed by archaeologists and researchers to be the oldest of a group of five sweet corns; Indian corn, pod corn, popcorn, sweet corn and field corn. Ancient corn pollen (not popcorn variety) has been found and judged to be 80,000 years old. This pollen was found two hundred feet below where the site of Mexico City sits today.

Popcorn was originally grown in Mexico but somehow it had spread globally through India, China and Sumatra years before the first European explorers arrived on North Americas shores.

Popcorn ears over 5,600 years old was found in the Bat Cave in New Mexico in 148 and 150. The size of these ears of popcorn ranged from 1/ inch to inches long and are the oldest ears of popcorn known.

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Popcorn was popped by throwing it on sizzling hot stones tended over a raging campfire. Naturally, as it popped it shot off in various directions. The game was to catch the popcorn and the reward was snacking on it.

Grains of popcorn over 1,000 years old were disvovered on Perus east coast. Preservation methods of the Peruvian Indians was so advanced that 1,000 years later, this corn still pops.

The Indians of North and South America popped corn ,000 years ago. Teenage girls today would most likely balk at wearing popcorn to the prom but Christopher Columbus, in 14, observed West Indian natives wearing popcorn corsages as well as using popped corn to decorate ceremonial headdresses. Columbus noted in his memoirs that Indians sold popcorn to his sailors.

Cortez, another European global explorer, wrote in his diaries Aztecs decorated ceremonial garb with popped corn. He noted it symbolized goodwill and peace and how the Aztecs made necklaces and other ornaments for the gods statues with the grain, especially that of the god Tialoc, the god of rain, fertility and maize (corn).

An amazingly clear documentation of popcorn comes from an early account of a Spaniard. He records observations of a ceremony honoring the Aztec god watching over fishermen. They scattered before him parched corn, called momchitl, a kind of corn that bursts when parched and discloses its contents and makes itself look like a very white flower; they said these were hailstones given to the god of water.

French explorers, about 161 in the Great Lakes region, made mention in their documents the use of popcorn by the Iroquois. This popcorn was popped in pottery with heated sand. The Frenchmen took part in an Iroquois dinner that included popcorn soup and popcorn beer.

Popcorn was spreading through almost all tribes of North and South America by the time the Pilgrims arrived. Quadequina, a brother of Chief Massasoit of the Wampanoag tribe brought popcorn to the first Thanksgiving dinner in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The Indians brought popcorn to many of the meetings with colonists as a goodwill gesture - kind of like their contribution to the potluck meal.

Ancient poppers made of soapstone, pottery and metal have been found in Indian excavation sites. Most of these have tripod legs and are large clay containers with lids to be set directly in the fire. They were used with and without oil, depending on preference.

Some Indian tribes discovered the delicacy of popping oiled popcorn while it was still on the cob. Somehow the corn stayed attached to the cob and it was eaten in the same manner as corn on the cob. This is the ancestor of buttered popcorn. The Winnebago Indians have a long history of enjoying popcorn on the cob, stabbing a stick through the cob and holding the ear close to the fire.

During this time, crude popcorn poppers were being invented. Some were small mesh baskets fashioned with a handle made by blacksmiths. Poppers have been found measuring up to eight feet across to handle large amounts.

The colonists loved popcorn so much they served it with sugar and cream for breakfast. This was the very first puffed breakfast cereal.

Popcorn carts were seen on every street always following the crowds after their invention in 1885. These were steam and gas poppers easily pushed through parks, fairs, carnivals, conventions and expositions. Home versions of popcorn poppers were invented in 15 and quickly snapped up by those able to afford them. Believe it or not, poppers started being manufactured by young teenagers in junior-high metal shop classes to keep up with the demand.

Popcorn eating thrived until the Great Depression. It was one of the few luxuries families could afford. Sugar was rationed and sent overseas to soldiers during World War II so candy was scarce. Because of this, the American consumer ate more popcorn, in fact, three times more popcorn than usually consumed.

However, this upswing was temporarily doomed. As television came into existence and going to movie theaters slowed down, so did popcorn snacking. It took a few years for people to get back into the popcorn habit in front of the small screen. But as you can see Jolly, Jiffy Pop and Orville Redenbacher rake in billions of dollars and popcorn enthusiasts live on.

The Papago Indians of Arizona still to this day pop corn in clay pots up to eight feet wide. These pots are known as ollas. Researchers have documented these poppers go back in design 1,500 years to the South American Indian and Mexican cultures.

Microwave popcorn is responsible for $50 billion yearly sales by itself. Experiments with popcorn and the microwave date back to 145. Perry Spencer then experimented with other foods.

Today the American public eats over one billion pounds of popcorn per year; translating to seventeen and a half billion quarts! The average American chows down on approximately 70 quarts per person yearly.

Title What is the history of popcorn?

Description Indians popped popcorn over 5,000 years ago making it one of the oldest snack foods. Ancient popcorn poppers contained it instead of catching it bursting from the campfire.

There is a legend that old-timers tell of one particular summer when it got so hot that the corn in the fields stared popping right off the stalks. The cows and pigs thought it was a snow blizzard and they lay down and froze to death.

In American Indian folklore, some tribes were said to believe that quiet, contented spirits lived inside of each popcorn kernel. When their houses were heated, the spirits would become angrier and angrier, shaking the kernels, and when the heat became unbearable, they would burst out of their homes and into the air in a disgrountled puff of steam.

Popcorn

Most of the worlds popcorn is grown in the midwestern part of the United States - principally in Nebraska, Iowa, and Indiana where it can get mighty hot in the summer. Although popcorn has been with us since pioneer times, it was not until 180 that popcorn became important enough to be raised as a crop for market. Before that time, individual families raised their own popcorn or bought it from their neighbors. Since that time, popcorn has brought enough income to its growers to earn the name prairie gold.

Prehistory - The oldest ears of popcorn ever found were discovered in the Bat Cave (a site known to have been occupied by cave dwellers practicing primitive agriculture three thousand years ago) of west central New Mexico in 148 and 150 by anthropologist Herbert Dick and botanist Earle Smith, Harvard graduate students. They discovered layers of trash, garbage, and excrement, which had accumulated over two thousand years. In the trash were 766 specimens of shelled cobs, 15 loose kernels, 8 pieces of husks, 10 of leaf sheath, and 5 of tassels and tassel fragments. The deeper they dug, the smaller and more primitive the cobs, until they reached bottom and found tiny cobs of popcorn in which each kernel was enclosed in its own husk. Among those prehistoric kernels, they found six that were partly or completely popped. These grains have been so well preserved that they would still pop. In fact, they took a few unpopped kernels and dropped them into a little hot oil to prove that they could still pop. They have been carbon dated to be about 5,600 years old.

4th Century A.D. - A Zapotec funeral urn found in Mexico and dating about 00 A.D. depicts a Maize god with symbols representing primitive popcorn in his headdress. Also ancient popcorn poppers (shallow vessels with a hole on the top and a single handle) have been found on the north coast of Peru and date back to the pre-Inca culture of about 00 A.D.

10th Century - In southwest Utah, a 1,000 year old popped kernel of popcorn was found in a dry cave inhabited by predecessors of the Pueblo Indian.

16th Century - Hernando Cortes (1485-1547), Spanish explorer and conqueror of the Aztec Empire of Mexico, got his first sight of popcorn when he invaded Mexico and came into contact with the Aztec people. Popcorn was an important food for the Aztec Indians, who also used popcorn as decoration for ceremonial headdresses, necklaces, and ornaments on statues of their gods.

An early Spanish account by Father Bernardino de Sahagun (14-150), Franciscan priest and researcher of the Mexican culture, of a ceremony honoring the Aztec gods who watched over fishermen read

They scattered before him parched corn, called momochitl, a kind of corn which bursts when parched and discloses its contents and makes itself look like a very white flower; they said these were hailstones given to the god of water.

17th Century -Early French explorers in the Great Lakes region reported that the Iroquois Indians popped popcorn in a pottery vessel with heated sand and used it to make popcorn soup, among other things.

Some historians suggest, but this theory has never been proved, that when the early English colonists held their first Thanksgiving celebration on October 15, 161, an Indian named Quadequina brought an offering for the feast - a great deerskin bag of popped corn. The Pilgrims enjoyed this treat, which was to become a unique part of the American way of life. The early colonists called it popped corn, parching corn, and rice corn. Native Americans would bring popcorn snack to meetings with the English colonists as a token of goodwill during peace negotiations.

In American Indian folklore, some tribes were said to believe that quiet contented spirits lived inside of each popcorn kernel. When their houses were heated, the spirits would become angrier and angrier, shaking the kernels until the heat became unbearable, at which point the spirits would burst out of their homes and into the air in a disgruntled puff of steam.

Colonial housewives served popcorn with sugar and cream for breakfast (the first puffed breakfast cereal). Some colonists popped corn using a cylinder of thin sheet-iron that revolved on an axle in front of the fireplace like a squirrel cage.

1th Century - The first popcorn machine was invented by Charles Cretors of Chicago, Illinois in 1885. In order to test his machine, it was necessary for Charles to operate it on the street as the customer. He was issued a peddler's license to use the machine on December , 1885. Until then, poppers were made to sit in front of stores to attract attention. The huge, ponderous popcorn machine with its gasoline burner became a familiar part of the scent. Street vendors used to follow crowds around, pushing steam or gas-powered poppers through fairs, parks, and expositions. This practice continued up until the Depression years (1-1). Today much of the popcorn you buy at movies and fairs is popped in poppers made by the Cretors family.

0th Century - In 114, Cloid H. Smith founded the American Pop Corn Company in the heart of corn country (Sioux City, Iowa) and launched Americas first brand name popcorn called Jolly Time. In 15, he introduced Jolly Time in a can designed specifically for popcorn. To show his confidence in h is new package, he flagged the can with a Guaranteed to Pop statement. It was a bold statement in those days.

With the opening of movie theaters across the nation early in the 0th century, popcorn became a part of the new excitement. During the Depression years (1-1), popcorn was one of the few luxuries down-and-out families could afford. While other businesses failed, the popcorn business thrived. There is a story about an Oklahoma banker who went broke when his bank failed. He bought a popcorn machine and started a business in a small store near a theater. After a couple years, his popcorn business made enough money to buy back three of the farms he had previously lost.

During World War II (141-145), sugar was sent overseas for American troops. This meant thaat there wasnt much sugar left in the United States to make candy. Due to this unusual situation, Americans ate three times as much popcorn as usual.

When television became popular in the 150s, popcorn sales again made a sudden rise (this time by an astonishing 500 per cent!) As families started buying television sets, they were changing their life-styles and staying home more and eating popcorn as they watched television.

Caramel Corn & Cracker Jacks

In 18, Cracker Jacks, a delicious mixture of popcorn, molasses, and peanuts, showed up at the Columbian Exposition at Chicago (which opened to show the world what progress Chicago had made since the fire of 1871). It was billed as Candied Popcorn and Peanuts.

Two brothers, Fred and Louis Ruekheim, German immigrants from Chicago, came up with the idea of covering popcorn with molasses. One legend notes that the name Cracker Jack came into use when a customer or a salesman, who tried the Rueckheim product, exclaimed That really a cracker - Jack! Actually the words cracker jack was a slang expression on those days, meaning something very pleasisng. The 108 song called Take Me Out To The Ball Game with the line, Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks immortalized Cracker Jacks (this song is still sung at baseball games today). Cracker Jacks became a staple food item at baseball games throughout America and the cry, Getcha peanuts, popcorn, and Cracker Jacks! is still heard at sporting events and carnivals in America.

Popcorn Balls

There is a Nebraska legend that the popcorn ball is actually a product of the Nebraska weather. It supposedly invented itself during the Year of the Striped Weather which came between the years of the Big Rain and the Great Heat where the weather was both hot and rainy. There was a mile strip of scorching sunshine and then a mile strip of rain. On one farm, there were both kinds of weather. The sun shone on this cornfield until the corn began to pop, while the rain washed the syrup out of the sugarcane. The field was on a hill and the cornfield was in a valley. They syrup flowed down the hill into the popped corn and rolled it into great balls with some of them hundreds of feet high and looked like big tennis balls at a distance. You never see any of them now because the grasshoppers ate them all up in one day on July 1, 1874.

- from American Eats, by Nelson Algren, published by University of Iowa Prewss, 1

Tens of thousands of years before there were movies, there was popcorn.

Stone Age Snack?

Archaeologists have found 80,000-year-old corn pollen below Mexico City. Because this pollen is almost exactly the same as modern popcorn pollen, researchers believe that cave people most likely had popcorn.

Popcorn probably grew first in Mexico, though it was also used in China and India hundreds of years before Columbus reached the Americas.

Tasty Fossils

The oldest popcorn ever found was discovered in the Bat Cave of central New Mexico. It is thought to be about 5,600 years old. In tombs in Peru, archaeologists found ancient kernels of popcorn that are so well preserved that they can still pop.

Sometimes, conditions can preserve ancient popcorn so perfectly that it still looks fluffy and white when the dust is blown off of it. In a cave in southern Utah, researchers found surprisingly fresh-looking 1,000-year-old popcorn.

Popcorn was probably an important part of life in the ancient Americas. On a 1,700-year-old painted funeral urn found in Mexico, a corn god is shown wearing a headdress of popcorn. Decorated popcorn poppers from around the same time have been found in Peru.

An Explosive Discovery

Europeans learned about popcorn from Native Americans. When Cortes invaded Mexico, and when Columbus arrived in the West Indies, each saw natives eating popcorn, as well as using it in necklaces and headdresses.

Native Americans brought a bag of popped corn to the first Thanksgiving. A common way to eat popcorn at that time was to hold an oiled ear on a stick over the fire, then chew the popped kernels off it. Natives throughout the Americas also made a popcorn beer. Some made popcorn soup.

After learning about the fluffy food, colonists began enjoying the first puffed breakfast cereal a bowl of popcorn, served with cream or milk.

Popcorn and Americans True Love

Popcorn was very popular in the United States from the late 1th century through the middle of the 0th century. It was available in parks, from street vendors, and near theaters.

During World War II, when sugar was rationed, Americans changed their snacking habits they ate three times as much popcorn as they had before. Perhaps the favorite place to eat popcorn was at the movies. When television took off in the 150s, popcorn sales dropped for a while.

Today, the average American eats nearly 70 quarts of popcorn a year. But the United States isnt just a land of popcorn lovers its also the land of popcorn. Most of the world now gets its popcorn from Nebraska and Indiana.

Pop Secret

Popcorn Classification

KingdomPlantae plant

PhylumAnthophytaproduces flowers

ClassMonocotyledonaeeach seed produces a single leaf

OrderCommelinalesthe leaves are fibrous

FamilyPoaceaehas blade-shaped leaves, like grass

GenusZeaproduces fleshy, one-seeded fruits

Speciesmayscorn

A popcorn kernel is actually a seed. Like other seeds, inside it has a tiny plant embryo (a life form in its earliest phase). The embryo is surrounded by soft, starchy material that would give the embryo energy for growing into a plant. A hard, glossy shell protects the outside of the seed.

The soft, starchy material holds some water. When the kernel is heated to a high heat (400 degrees F), the water inside the kernel turns into steam. The pressure from the steam causes the kernel to explode. The soft starch inside bursts out at about 40 times its original size, turning the kernel inside out. This creates the fluffy white area of a popped kernel.

The ideal popcorn kernel contains about 14 percent moisture. If the popcorn is much drier, it will not pop. Popcorn kernels should be kept in a tightly sealed jar so that they will not dry out.

Fast Forward to the 100s

Popcorn was popular in the U.S. from the 180s until the Depression of 1. During the Depression, street vendors followed the crowds - pushing steam or gas-powered poppers through fairs, parks and expositions. During the Depression popcorn at 5 or 10 cents a bag was one of the few luxuries poor families could afford. While other businesses failed, popcorn businesses thrived. It is reported that an Oklahoma banker who went broke bought a popcorn machine and started a business in a small store near a theater. After a couple of years, his popcorn business made enough money to buy back three of the farms he had lost. During World War II, sugar was sent overseas to support U.S. troops. This meant there was not much sugar left to make candy. As a result, American ate three times as much popcorn as usual.

150s to Present

Popcorns popularity slumped during the 150s when television became popular and theater attendance dropped. When people began eating popcorn at home, the new relationship between television and popcorn led to a resurgence in popularity.

This trend has continued. Today, U.S. popcorn growers annually produce over 00 million pounds of raw popcorn. According to one source this is enough to fill a tub the size of a Mammoth Cave. About 0% of domestic production is exported. The top state producer is Nebraska with about 0% of the U.S. total.

Once processed and packaged, popcorn is offered to consumers in a variety of formats and flavors. It is sold in outlets as varied as Department Stores and QVC to movie complexes with huge snack facilities duplicating old fashioned Drive Ins. An expanding economy has created a whole new environment for the consumption of popcorn - the home theatre. This factor, growing distribution channels, new recipes and uses for popcorn and a growing awareness of the healthful and nutritious aspects of this product predict a bright and continued future for the popcorn industry.

As reported by the Popcorn Institute of Chicago, IL 16

popcorn Kernel contains a mass of moist starch surrounded by an extremely hard outer shell. The moisture level is ideally around 1.5 percent, any less and the kernels will not pop and should be discarded. When the kernels are heated to about 00c the moisture in the starch turns into steam and builds up pressure until the kernel explodes inside out, increasing in size by up to 40 times.

Once popped the corn falls into two distinct shapes, snowflake which is large and shaped like a cumulus cloud and mushroom, shaped like a large round ball.

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