When heated, the pressurized steam created in maize kernels makes them pop.
Archaeologists have discovered popcorn kernels dating back 4,000-5,600 years that were still able to pop.
The exact discovery of popcorn's popping ability remains unknown, but it likely occurred during the application of heat to dried kernels by ancient civilizations in the Americas, such as the Maya and Aztecs.
According to NPR, corn, and specifically popcorn, played a crucial role in laying the foundations for the Aztec Empire, and the Aztec language even had a word for the sound of many popcorn kernels popping at once.
Maize, the ancestor of modern corn and popcorn, originated in Mexico around 9,000 years ago from a wild grass called teosinte, which had the special property of being able to pop. It gradually transformed into maize through selective breeding by ancient civilizations.
Early corn varieties were all popcorn, existing for millennia before other forms of corn. Even after cultivating flour corn varieties, Mesoamericans still consumed popcorn.
The Maya and Aztecs valued popping corn as a vital crop, with creation myths emphasizing its significance, using it for both consumption and decoration, though ancient popcorn was likely different from the modern buttered and salted version.
European colonists enjoyed it with milk and sugar.
Popcorn became popular worldwide after the Spanish invasion, leading to a deeper understanding of how it pops, with the rock-hard kernel acting as a pressure cooker, sealing water and starch inside until it explodes into a popped kernel. The fluffy texture is a result of the bubbles formed by expanding steam inside the kernel.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: The Conversation, Spokesman, NPR.