Emily Chan
Popcorn is a beloved snack that is deeply ingrained in American culture and is often enjoyed in movie theaters.
With its delightful buttery aroma and satisfying crunch, it’s one of my favorite foods to munch on. Once you reach your hand into a bucket full of popcorn, it’s almost impossible to stop.
I know that I was definitely born in the right generation because I get to exist at the same time as popcorn!
Did you know that popcorn was invented nearly 7,000 years ago? Long before it became synonymous with cinema, popcorn was actually a staple in the diets of ancient civilizations. It all started with a type of grass called teosinte.
Before agriculture was developed, people would gather wild teosinte and eat the seeds. The seeds contained a lot of starch, much like a carbohydrate that is found in pasta and bread.
Eventually, people began to plant teosinte seeds. Over time, teosinte evolved into a version of maize. Maize was first farmed by Native Americans in what is now Mexico.
The earliest evidence of maize farming comes from dry caves in Mexico as far back as 9,000 years ago. From there, maize farming spread across North and South America.
There are now several types of maize, and most of them will pop when placed under heat. However, one particular variety makes the best popcorn.
It’s hard to tell exactly when people started making popcorn. Remains of the extra “poppable” type of maize from 6,700 years ago were found in Peru in the form of charred kernels and phytolith particles.
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