10 Things You Never Knew About Popcorn

Think you know everything there is to know about everyone’s favourite movie snack? Think again! We bring you 10 useless yet useful popcorn facts that will pop your brain into another dimension.

1. Popcorn is a member of the grass family

Popcorn is a type of maize or corn. There are 5 types of corn – Flour, Dent or Field, Flint, Sweet and popcorn. Each kernel contains a tiny drop of water. This is why, when heated, the water expands causing the kernel to explode and flip inside out.

2. Who popped that very first corn?

Though popcorn probably originated in Mexico, it was grown in China, Sumatra and India years before Columbus visited America. Scientists have uncovered fossilized cobs indicating that people in northeastern Peru were popping kernels as early as 4,700 B.C.

3. The Worlds only Popcorn Museum

Marion, Ohio, USA is home to the world’s only popcorn museum. The Wyandot Popcorn Museum is located inside the The Old U.S. Post Office of Marion. This small town also hosts an annual festival to honour the snack food.

4. The oldest popcorn in the world

The world’s oldest piece of popcorn, at 6500 year old, was found in a bat cave in New Mexico in 1948.

5. Once it’s popped it’s a flake

A popped piece of popcorn is called a flake. Flakes that look like protruding wings are called “butterfly” while ball-shaped flakes are called “mushroom.”

6. Microwave popcorn

Microwave popcorn was first discovered in 1945. Perry Spencer discovered that popcorn would pop when placed near a mocrowave. Mr. Spencer led the way to development of the microwave oven.

7. The TV killed off popcorn

Popcorn sales dropped off when the T.V. became popular in the 1950’s. Movie theatre attendance dropped off too. The consumption of popcorn dropped too when the public started making popcorn at home.

8. Popcorn kiss cereal’s ass

Popcorn has more protein than any other cereal grain. It also has more iron than eggs, peanuts, spinach, or roast beef! And wait it gets better. Popcorn is listed third out of a list called  “Eleven Things That Don’t Cause Cancer”.

9. Americans love the stuff

Americans consume more popcorn than the citizens of any other country. They consume 17 billion quarts of popped popcorn annually, or 54 quarts per man, woman and child. That’s enough to fill the Empire State Building 18 times!

10. And then there’s the beer

Native Americans use popcorn to make popcorn beer and popcorn soup. Today you can get your pop on with a Pub Corn. Pub-Corn is the first popcorn available in beer and delicious cocktail flavours. It’s currently available in the 3 different flavours: beer, Irish cream, and pinã colada.