Why Does Popcorn Pop

By Seth B.


Popcorn can be traced back       outer shell.                  
early as the 1500. In 1519,                                    
Cortes got his first sight of    Without this moisture, pop    
popcorn when he invaded Mexico   corn will not pop. The best   
and came into contact with       way to store popcorn is air   
the Aztecs. Popcorn was an       tight containers and stored in
important food for the Aztec     a cool place like your        
Indians, who also used popcorn   cupboard or pantry.           
as decoration for ceremonial                                   
headdresses, necklaces and       As popcorn kernels heat up    
ornaments on statues of their    the moisture inside builds up
gods, including Tlaloc, the      and expands against the hard  
god of rain and fertility.       starch shell. Eventually the  
                                 hard surface gives way and the
The reason popcorn pops was      popcorn explodes. The soft    
explained by native Aztecs.      heated starch burst, turning  
There are spirits who live       in side out.                  
inside the kernels of popcorn.                                 
As you heat these spirits        Remember a refrigerator can   
homes, they get angry.           most likely dry your popcorn  
Eventually, the spirits get so   out. If you find that your pop
angry they pop out of there      corn has dried out, you can   
homes as unhappy little puffs    rejuvenate them and still can
of steam.                        get them to pop. Place the    
                                 kernels in a jar a fill it    
Obviously, this was folk lore    full of water. It takes about
and we have since discovered     three days but the water will
scientifically how popcorn       re moisturize the kernel and  
pops. It's relatively simple.    that will cause the kernels to
Popcorn kernels contain water.   pop.                          
Inside the kernel is a soft                                    
patch of starch with around                                    
14oisture. The moisture is                                     
contained by kernels hard        

About the author:
Richard Amburn http://www.allabout-popcorn.com


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