It’s likely that popcorn was discovered by accident when some maize kernels fell into a cooking fire.
These popped corn bits also lasted longer than regular corn, which helped stretch out their food supply.
Heating up the corn helped get rid of the bit of water trapped inside the kernels, which caused the corn to spoil more quickly.
When cooked, the heated water escapes as steam, making the popcorn pop and allowing the popped corn to be preserved for longer.
In addition, the pioneers of popcorn likely didn’t know about its nutritional benefits. All they saw was a great new way of preserving food. But when corn is popped, it contains more fiber and fewer carbs than regular corn.
Of course, there was no salt or butter to add to the snack since cows hadn’t arrived in the Americas yet.
Ancient popcorn was probably not served hot and was pretty chewy compared to what we’re currently used to. Nevertheless, this discovery was both a culinary and cultural breakthrough.
Popcorn’s evolution from an ancient source of food to a modern snack demonstrates its versatility and enduring appeal. Today, it is still enjoyed by millions of people around the world.
