What Is the Origin of Popcorn?

Popcorn has existed since before the Egyptian times.

Popcorn has become a mainstream "food" that many people enjoy while watching movies and television. Popcorn has existed since the earliest days of humankind but did not gain its popularity until the 1800's.

Early History

Popped corn has a history that dates back to 4000 years ago when evidence of "pop corn" existing in a New Mexico Bat Cave was discovered. More often than not, popcorn was not used as a food item, but rather for decoration purposes, perhaps, because it was more challenging in those days to create popcorn. Back then, people would set a corn stalk out in the sun and allow it to pop.

The Popcorn Machine

In the 1800's popcorn was becoming a popular food item due to the invention of the popcorn machine. This popularity was perpetuated by the invention of the mobile popcorn machine at the end of the 19th century in 1893 by C. Cretors and Company of Chicago.

The Microwave

The invention of the microwave is perhaps the biggest revolution in the history of popcorn. Actually World War II led to the discovery of the microwave machine, since Percy Spencer was trying to discover civil uses for microwave technology that was developed during the war. The rest is history, and in the 1940's the microwave was introduced to the public. Since then popcorn sales have soared.

References

• Buzzle: Popcorn History
• The Nibble: The History of Popcorn