January 19 – National Popcorn Day

nPostednon January 19, 2014

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Everynfood seems to have its own special day, so why not popcorn?

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nDonyou know why popcorn pops?

nSome Native American legends giveninteresting reasons. One legend says that spirits live inside everynkernel of popcorn, and when a kernel is heated, its spirit growsnangry. Finally, the spirit becomes so angry it bursts out of its homenwith a puff of steam—and the result is that it pulls the kernelninside out!

nOfncourse, there is a scientific explanation that tells us a similarnstory (without the spirit and anger!). Inside each kernel of popcornnis a small drop of water stored inside soft starch. The starch isnsurrounded by a hard outer surface. When the corn is heated, thenwater begins to expand. At a certain point, the water turns intonsteam and begins to melt the starch into a jello-like goop. Withnfurther heating, the steam expands, putting pressure on the starchngoop, which in turn puts pressure on the hull. Finally, the hullnbursts open and the steam is released. The starch inflates outwards,nbut as it spills out of the hull, it immediately cools, forming thenodd and bulbous shapes we see in popcorn.

nAnd,nyes, it is as if the kernel of corn has not just expanded and cooked,nbut also has been turned inside-out in the process!

nTherenare four common types of corn: sweet corn, field corn, “Indianncorn,” and popcorn. You have probably already guessed that onlynpopcorn will pop when heated. It turns out that its hull has just thenright thickness to allow it to burst open when heated.

nWhatnabout the duds? n

Don’tnyou just hate it when half of the bag of popcorn doesn’t pop? Whyndoes this happen?

nItncould be that the hull of a dud kernel had developed cracks, and thensteam escaped from those cracks instead of building up pressureninside until the hull bursts.

nOrnit could be that the popcorn was too old, and the water drop insidenthe kernel had gotten too small to burst the hull when it was turnedninto steam. Popcorn needs to have water content of 13 to 14% in ordernto pop properly. Farmers generally harvest it when the water contentnis between 16 and 19% of the corn, by mass, and then cure the popcornnuntil the water content reaches the optimal range. n

nPopcornnFacts

nAccordingn to the Popcorn Board, Americans eat 17 billion quarts of popped cornn every year! This would fill the 103-floor Empire State Building 18n times!

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nPopcornn kernels can pop up to three feet into the air!

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nPopcornn has more protein than any other cereal grain. It has more fiber thann potato chips, and it has surprisingly large amounts of vitamins andn minerals. Most of the nutrients are found in the hull, not then fluffy white part, and too much butter, salt, and sugar (such as inn caramel corn) can make a healthy snack unhealthy, of course!

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