National Popcorn Day is January 19: Fun Facts

It's National Popcorn Day, in case you didn't know. Whether you like your popcorn buttered, salted, plain, caramel or with cheese, you don't have to go to the movies to have an excuse to eat popcorn on this tasty holiday. No one is quite sure who started National Popcorn day but many are happy to celebrate.

Corn popping was originally discovered by Native Americans, but became popular as a snack food during the United States Great Depression, especially in movie theaters. It's not an affordable snack in the theaters and more -- with a small bag of buttered popcorn commanding around $5 or more. However, popping it at home is a quick and easy treat.

Fun Popcorn Facts

According to the USDA, most of the maize used for popcorn production is specifically planted for this purpose. Most of the maize is grown in Nebraska and Indiana, with an increasing amount now grown in Texas.

As the result of an elementary school project, popcorn became the official state snack food of Illinois

Americans consume 16 billion quarts of popped popcorn annually or 52 quarts per man, woman and child. It is said to be one of the most wholesome and economical foods available.

There are 1600 popcorn kernels in one cup.

The world's largest popcorn ball was unveiled in October 2006 in Lake Forest, Illinois. It weighed 3,415 pounds , measured 8 feet in diameter, and had a circumference of 24.6 feet.

3 cups of popcorn equal one serving from the grain group.

With All the Good in Popcorn, Is There Any Bad?

Popcorn is included on the list of foods that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends not serving to children under four, because of the risk of choking. Special "hulless" popcorn has been developed that offers an alternative for small children.

Microwaveable popcorn is designed to be cooked along with various flavoring agents. One of these common artificial-butter flavorants, diacetyl, has been implicated in causing respiratory ailments.

Air-popped popcorn is naturally high in fiber, low in calories and fat, contains no sodium, and is sugar free. However, once you add flavorings like butter, salt and the oils that are in prepared popcorn it can become a bad choice for those on restricted diets.

What Else Can You Do With Popcorn?

Popcorn, threaded onto a string, is used as a wall or Christmas tree decoration in some parts of North America.

Some shipping companies have experimented with using popcorn as a biodegradable replacement for expanded polystyrene packing material. However, popcorn has numerous undesirable properties as a packing material, including attractiveness to pests and flammability.

If you love popcorn, there's nothing that's going to stop you from enjoying it. Happy Popcorn Day!

Written by Cheryl Phillips
HULIQ.com

sources: Popcorn.org, Wikipedia

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