Interesting Popcorn Facts
Popcorn is easy to make, tasty and relatively healthy. It's been around for thousands of years so this popular snack has a wealth of information and history behind of it, much of it not well known. Does this Spark an idea?
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Early History
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Popcorn has been around a long time. In 1948, archaeologists found popped kernels around 4000 years old in a cave in New Mexico. Aztec Indians used popcorn in their ceremonies, as food and as decorations. Legend has it that Christopher Columbus brought popcorn to Europe in the 15th century and that Native Americans brought it to the first Thanksgiving feast in Massachusetts.
Modern History
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Street vendors began selling popcorn from carts in the late 19th century. It was inexpensive enough that it remained popular throughout the Great Depression, while sugar rationing during World War II meant Americans ate nearly three times as much popcorn as before the war, according to the Popcorn Board. Popcorn sales dropped in the 1950s as television became more popular and movie attendance declined. Sales bounced back as home popcorn poppers became more common; now about 70 percent of all popcorn is eaten at home.
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Health
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Popcorn is an ideal snack, naturally high-fiber and low in calories. It is free of sodium, sugar and fats. Of course, popping in oil and adding toppings such as butter, caramel or salt does make it somewhat less healthy; air poppers and low-calorie flavored toppings can keep the calorie count down. Good to know, since the average American eats over 50 quarts of popcorn a year.
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References
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- Photo Credit Popcorn image by Yvonne Bogdanski from Fotolia.com
