According to popcorn.org "National Popcorn Day is celebrated at the end of January, although its exact date is a matter of debate. Various sources report it as January 19; others claim it takes place on whatever day the Super Bowl falls on. The Popcorn Board is often asked about the origins of this day; unfortunately, we do not know how or when this celebration began. Some other individual or organization (with obvious good taste) began this tradition.
The connection to the Super Bowl seems natural enough. It’s a highly regarded annual sporting competition pitting the top two national football teams against each other. Millions of viewers from around the globe hunker down with bowls of their favorite snack—popcorn—in heated anticipation of who will win the battle."
We say that it does not matter because popcorn is good everyday. here are some ideas to help you enjoy it.
Popcorn Recipes
Jokes
What did the salt say to the popcorn?
A: Season's Greetings!!! TeeHee
What did the young popcorn kernel brag to the other young kernels?
A: Betcha my Pop's bigger than yours!
Why did the farmer stop telling secrets in the corn field?
A: Because the corn was all ears.
Some Fun Facts:
Varieties of popcorn that can grow wild--none. Due to the breeding of hybrids, all varieties of corn are in need of man's assistance.
Americans today consume 17 billion quarts of popcorn each year. The average American eats about 58 quarts.
The oldest ears of popcorn ever found were discovered in the Bat Cave of west central New Mexico in 1948 and 1950. Ranging from smaller than a penny to about 2 inches, the oldest ears are about 4,000 years old.
The percentage of popcorn bought and eaten at theaters, ballparks and other recreational areas is about 30%
Writing of Peruvian Indians in 1650, the Spaniard Cobo says, "They toast a certain kind of corn until it bursts. They call it pisancalla, and they use it as a confection."
It was experimenting with popcorn that led to the invention of the microwave oven.
How does Popcorn POP!
The folklore of some Native American tribes told of spirits who lived inside each kernel of popcorn. The spirits were quiet and content to live on their own--but grew angry if their houses were heated. The hotter their homes became, the angrier they'd get--shaking the kernels until the heat was too much. Finally they would burst out of their homes and into the air as disgruntled puff of steam.
Each kernel of popcorn does contain a small drop of water stored inside a circle of soft starch. (That's why popcorn needs to contain 13.5% to 14% moisture.) The soft starch is surrounded by the kernel's hard outer surface.
As the kernel heats up, the water begins to expand, and pressure builds against the hard surface. Eventually, this hard surface gives way, causing the popcorn to explode.
As it explodes, the soft starch inside the popcorn becomes inflated and bursts, turning the kernel inside out. The steam inside the kernel is released, and the popcorn is popped!
Popcorn expands 40 - 42 times its original size, some hybrids up to 45 times bigger.
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