Whether sweet or salted, for most people the airy corn kernels are part of a successful visit to the cinema. “Popcorn” is made up of two words. One is “pop”, the English word for popping, and the other is “corn“, the American word for corn. However, only certain corn kernels, pearl or puffed corn, are suitable for making popcorn. Regular corn kernels are not suitable because they would char when heated.
Why does popcorn pop?
The corn kernel is composed of starch, protein and water. Although the kernel is dry when viewed from the outside, there is still a small amount of water in the kernel.
When the kernels are now heated, the water turns to steam, the steam expands, and the pressure in the kernel increases. At some point, the husk of the grain can no longer withstand the pressure inside. The grain bursts and flies around with a loud bang. At the same time, the nutritive tissue of starch and protein expands many times over – the popcorn is ready.
A short excursion into history
Puffed corn is a variety of hard corn and is one of the oldest varieties of corn grown by Native Americans. Even the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas knew the versatility of the kernel. Popcorn is therefore not an invention of modern times. The kernels first reached Europe through the discovery of America – Christopher Columbus brought the first corn cobs back from his voyage.
Popcorn can be made in a variety of ways. In the days when there was no popcorn machine, the corn kernels were heated with oil in a pot or pan to make them pop. Nowadays, there are various popcorn machines but also popcorn for the microwave.
Popcorn instead of chips
Popcorn is a low-calorie snack. It contains much less fat than chips, for example, but is just as delicious. Popcorn is also rich in fiber, contains minerals (e.g. potassium, magnesium) and vitamins (e.g. vitamins B1 and B2).
