Popcorn
| Popcorn | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Unpopped corn | |
 |
|
| Popped corn | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| (unranked): | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Genus: | Zea |
| Species: | Z. mays |
| Subspecies: | Z. m. everta |
| Trinomial name | |
|
Zea mays everta |
|
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 1,598 kJ (382 kcal) |
|
78 g
|
|
| Dietary fiber | 15 g |
|
4 g
|
|
|
12 g
|
|
| Vitamins | |
| Thiamine (B1) |
(17%)
0.2 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) |
(25%)
0.3 mg |
| Minerals | |
| Iron |
(21%)
2.7 mg |
|
One cup is 8 grams.
|
|
|
|
| Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database |
|
Popcorn is a type of corn that expands from the kernel and puffs up when heated. Popcorn is able to pop like amaranth grain, sorghum, quinoa, and millet. When heated, pressure builds within the kernel, and a small explosion (or "pop") is the end result. Some strains of corn are now cultivated specifically as popping corns.
There are various techniques for popping corn. Along with prepackaged popcorn, which is generally intended to be prepared in a microwave oven, there are small home appliances for popping corn. These methods require the use of minimally processed popping corn.
A larger-scale, commercial popcorn machine, which resembled a modern movie theater popcorn machine on a cart with large bicycle style wheels, was invented by Charles Cretors in the late 19th century.
Unpopped popcorn is considered nonperishable and will last indefinitely if stored in ideal conditions.
Depending on how it is prepared and cooked, some consider popcorn to be a health food, while others caution against it for a variety of reasons. Popcorn can also have non-food applications, ranging from holiday decorations to packaging materials.
Corn was first domesticated in Mexico 9,000 years ago. Archaeologists have discovered that people have known about popcorn for thousands of years. In Mexico, for example, they’ve found remnants of popcorn that dates to around 3600 BC. Many historians even believe that popcorn is the first corn that humans even knew about. Popping of the kernels was achieved manually through the 19th century, being sold on the east coast of the USA under names such as 'Pearls' or 'Nonpareil'. The term 'popped corn' first appeared in John Russell Bartlett’s 1848 Dictionary of Americanisms. Popcorn is an ingredient in Cracker Jack, and in the early years of the product, it was popped by hand.
Popcorn's accessibility increased rapidly in the 1890s with Charles Cretors' invention of the popcorn maker. Cretors, a Chicago candy store owner, created a number of steam powered machines for roasting nuts, and applied the technology to the corn kernels. By the turn of the century, Cretors had created and deployed street carts equipped with steam powered popcorn makers.
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Wikipedia