[acb-diabetics] 20 facts about popcorn

[Patricia LaFrance-Wolf]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Marilyn deweese
To: cookinginthedark at acbradio.org <mailto:cookinginthedark%40acbradio.org> 
Cc: armando del gobbo
Sent: Sunday, April 15, 2012 3:35 PM
Subject: 20 Things You Didn't Know About Popcorn

20 Things You Didn't Know About Popcorn
Source: HowStuffWorks.com, by the editors of Publications International, 
Ltd.

High in fiber, low in fat, and a tiny spirit in every kernel -- here
are 20 things you didn't know about popcorn.

Native Americans believed that a spirit
lived in each kernel of popcorn.

1. Popcorn's scientific name is zea mays everta, and it is the only
type of corn that will pop.

2. People have been enjoying popcorn for thousands of years. In 1948,
popped kernels around 5,000 years old were discovered in caves in New
Mexico.

3. It is believed that the Wampanoag Native American tribe brought
popcorn to the colonists for the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth,
Massachusetts.

4. Traditionally, Native American tribes flavored popcorn with dried
herbs and spices, possibly even chili. They also made popcorn into
soup and beer and made popcorn headdresses and corsages.

5. Some Native American tribes believed that a spirit lived inside
each kernel of popcorn. The spirits wouldn't usually bother humans,
but if their home was heated, they would jump around, getting angrier
and angrier, until eventually they would burst out with a pop.

6. Christopher Columbus allegedly introduced popcorn to the Europeans
in the late 15th century.

7. The first commercial popcorn machine was invented by Charles
Cretors in Chicago in 1885. The business he founded still
manufactures popcorn machines and other specialty equipment.

8. American vendors began selling popcorn at carnivals in the late
19th century. When they began to sell outside movie theaters, theater
owners were initially annoyed, fearing that popcorn would distract
their patrons from the movies. It took a few years for them to
realize that popcorn could be a way to increase revenues, and popcorn
has been served in movie theaters since 1912.

9. Nowadays, many movie theaters make a greater profit from popcorn
than they do from ticket sales, since for every dollar spent on
popcorn, around ninety cents is pure profit. Popcorn also makes
moviegoers thirsty and more likely to buy expensive sodas.

10. What makes popcorn pop? Each kernel contains a small amount of
moisture. As the kernel is heated, this water turns to steam. Popcorn
differs from other grains in that the kernel's shell is not water-
permeable, so the steam cannot escape and pressure builds up until
the kernel finally explodes, turning inside out.

11. On average, a kernel will pop when it reaches a temperature of
347 degress Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).

12. Unpopped kernels are called "old maids" or "spinsters."

13. There are two possible explanations for old maids. The first is
that they didn't contain sufficient moisture to create an explosion;
the second is that their outer coating (the hull) was damaged, so
that steam escaped gradually, rather than with a pop. Good popcorn
should produce less than 2 percent old maids.

14. Ideally, the moisture content of popcorn should be around 13.5
percent, as this results in the fewest old maids.

15. Popcorn is naturally high in fiber; low in calories; and sodium-,
sugar-, and fat-free, although oil is often added during preparation
and butter, sugar, and salt are all popular toppings.

16. Americans consume 17 billion quarts of popped popcorn each year.
That's enough to fill the Empire State Building 18 times!

17. Nebraska produces more popcorn than any other state in the
country -- around 250 million pounds per year. That's about a quarter
of all the popcorn produced annually in the United States.

18. There are at least five contenders claiming to be the "Popcorn
Capital of the World" due to the importance of popcorn to their local
economies, and only one of them is in Nebraska. They are Van Buren,
Indiana; Marion, Ohio; Ridgway, Illinois; Schaller, Iowa; and North
Loup, Nebraska.

19. Popped popcorn comes in two basic shapes: snowflake and mushroom.
Movie theaters prefer snowflake because it's bigger. Confections such
as caramel corn use mushroom because it won't crumble.

20. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the world's
largest popcorn ball measured 12 feet in diameter and required 2,000
pounds of corn, 40,000 pounds of sugar, 280 gallons of corn syrup,
and 400 gallons of water to create. Enjoy. From Carly.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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