Popcorn

What is popcorn?

Popcorn is a popular snack food at sporting events and in movie theaters, where it has been served since the 1930s.

What is microwave popcorn?

Microwave popcorn is a convenience food consisting of unpopped popcorn in an enhanced, sealed paper bag intended to be heated in a microwave oven. In addition to the dried corn, the bags typically contain cooking oil with sufficient saturated fat to solidify at room temperature, one or more seasonings (often salt ),...

What happens to popcorn kernels when heated?

A popcorn kernels strong hull contains the seeds hard, starchy endosperm with 14-20% moisture, which turns to steam as the kernel is heated. Pressure from the steam continues to build until the hull ruptures, allowing the kernel to forcefully expand from 20 to 50 times its original size — and finally, cool.

How does popcorn popping work?

Popping mechanism The sequence of a kernel popping Each kernel of popcorn contains a certain amount of moisture and oil. Unlike most other grains, the outer hull of the popcorn kernel is both strong and impervious to moisture and the starch inside consists almost entirely of a hard type.

What is the scientific name of popcorn?

Zea mays everta. Popcorn ( popped corn, popcorns or pop-corn) is a variety of corn kernel which expands and puffs up when heated; the same names are also used to refer to the foodstuff produced by the expansion. A popcorn kernels strong hull contains the seeds hard, starchy shell endosperm with 14–20% moisture, ...

What is popcorn made of?

Popcorn is one of the six major types of corn, which includes dent corn, flint corn, pod corn, flour corn, and sweet corn. Corn was domesticated about 10,000 years ago in what is now Mexico. Archaeologists discovered that people have known about popcorn for thousands of years.

What is a popcorn kernel called when it pops?

In the popcorn industry, a popped kernel of corn is known as a flake. Two shapes of flakes are commercially important. Butterfly (or snowflake) flakes are irregular in shape and have a number of protruding wings.

Is popcorn a snack or a meal?

At present, it is mainly a snack that people enjoy while watching movies or sports events. Generally speaking, popcorn is popped by air or in oil, and there are some key differences between the two. Key Point: Popcorn is a popular snack food that has been consumed for centuries.

What happens to popcorn when it is heated?

When popcorn is heated, the water inside the kernel tries to expand into steam, but it cannot escape through the seed coat (the popcorn hull or pericarp). The hot oil and steam gelatinizes the starch inside the popcorn kernel, making it softer and more pliable. When the popcorn reaches a temperature of 180 C (356 F),...

What is the science behind popcorn?

The Science Behind Why Popcorn Pops 1 A Closer Look at the Kernel. Corn kernels have two layers. ... 2 The Perfect Pop. When the kernel is heated, the small amount of moisture trapped in the kernel turns to steam, which is pushed past the boiling point by the pressurized ... 3 Popping Pitfalls. ...

Why does popcorn pop but not pop?

A popped piece of corn is about 20 to 50 times larger than the original kernel. If popcorn is heated too slowly, it wont pop because steam leaks out of the tender tip of the kernel. If popcorn is heated too quickly, it will pop, but the center of each kernel will be hard because the starch hasnt had time to gelatinize and form a foam.

How do you make popcorn kernels pop more easily?

When the first kernels pop, open the lid a fraction and rest it slightly askew, with a gap of 1/2″ at its widest, to let the steam out. This makes for a drier interior and less flabby popcorn, but it also lowers the pressure inside the pot. Less steam, less pressure and more dry heat seems to make them pop more.