[Study] Popped culture: a social history of popcorn in America by Andrew F. Smith

Recent reading, recommended by Laura Miller, an amazing person, given by Jonathan Minard.

Popped culture:  a social history of popcorn in America

In this fascinating book, Andrew Smith, who teaches culinary history, investigates the flavorful myths surrounding popcorn s introduction, the reasons behind its unflagging popularity, & its ever-increasing success through a fortuitous association with new technologies, such as radio, movies, & microwaves. He provides a detailed history of popcorn, from Colonial settlers who were introduced to popcorn by American Indians, through boardwalk popping machines, to movie theater-popped corn & microwavable snacks, & includes popcorn products like Cracker Jack. There are even dozens of recipes. A well-documented & well-illustrated piece of work, taking a tiny kernel of culinary culture & broadening it to include the sweep of American history. - Description from Amazon.com

[Popcorn Talk]

Some wonderful thoughts shared by T.H. Althof


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Hi  again,

Did I have the wrong slant on "Popcorn?" I just assumed it was intended to be humorous....a sophisticated send-up on when science goes to the absurd extremes it sometimes does.

To me that theme is ultimately theological - the quest for God. To many physicists and cosmologists,  that's what it is. Einstein, of course, was convinced that such a magnificent set of natural laws could not have just sprung out of nothing."On the trail of the Champ," as he put it. Hawking now says a god isn't necessary.  So, there are two "camps" on it.

But nobody knows. Funny thing right now is

[Study] popcorn knowledge on New York Times

 

Image - Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

Pop Star Secrets Revealed!

By HENRY FOUNTAIN 
Published: April 19, 2005

opcorn kernels are nature's firecrackers, and as with any explosive device, sometimes you get a dud. In this modern era of microwave popcorn, in fact, sometimes you get a lot of duds - a mass of unpopped kernels rolling around the soggy bottom of the bag.
But fret not, snack food lovers, help is on the way. Scientists at Purdue University think they've uncovered why some kernels fizzle instead of explode. The discovery may help popcorn producers grow varieties that have lower failure rates.

While a poppable kernel must have a precise amount of moisture in the endosperm, or starchy center (about 14.5 to 15 percent), the Purdue researchers say the real explosive secret lies in the hull, or pericarp.
In some varieties, the pericarp becomes more moistureproof as it is heated, sealing in the steam until the pressure gets so high that the hull fractures and the kernel goes pop.
In other varieties that don't undergo heat-induced change, the moisture escapes, the hull never breaks and then the kernel goes pfffft.
"Those varieties that have a lot of kernels where moisture leaks out too rapidly don't pop too well," said one of the researchers, Dr. Bruce R. Hamaker. He and his colleagues should know: they tested 14 varieties of popcorn, all Indiana-grown, for popping performance and moisture loss.
The percentage of unpopped kernels ranged from 4 percent to more than 45 percent. The study is published online by the journal Biomacromolecules.
A major component of the pericarp is cellulose, a polymer made up of chains of glucose molecules. In the better-performing varieties, "the cellulose component undergoes a transition where it becomes more crystalline," Dr. Hamaker said.
Hydrogen bonds form between nearby cellulose strands. "It creates a moisture barrier," he added.
The difference between a tight pericarp and a leaky one appears to have something to do with the amount of cellulose and how the strands are aligned, Dr. Hamaker said.
Popcorn producers could switch to varieties with the proper pericarp qualities, and it should be possible for researchers to selectively breed more moistureproof varieties as well.
But Dr. Hamaker said he'd leave that work to others.
"This was the one popcorn project that we ever did," he said. "It was interesting, but we're not working on popcorn anymore. I don't know if it was because of all that popping or not."

[Study] documentary related research - What The Bleep Do We Know?

What  tHē  #$*!  Ďɵ  ⍵∑  (k)πow!?  Treailer

Watch the whole movie on Youtube:

[Study] Myths Encyclopedia - Corn

Corn

First grown in Mexico about 5,000 years ago, corn soon became the most important food crop in Central and North America. Throughout the region, Native Americans, Maya, Aztecs, and other Indians worshiped corn gods and developed a variety of myths about the origin, planting, growing, and harvesting of corn (also known as maize).

[Study] Native American/Indian stories

Corn Mother: How Corn Was Given to the Penobscot

When Glooscap lived on earth, there were no people yet. But one day, when the sun was high, a youth appeared and called him "Uncle, brother of my mother." This young man was born from the foam of the waves, foam quickened by the wind and warmed by the sun. It was the moistness of water, the motion of the wind and the warmth of the sun that gave the youth life. And the youth lived with Glooscap and became his chief helper.
Now after these two powerful beings had created all manner of things, there came to them, as the sun was shining at high noon, a beautiful girl. She was born of the wonderful earth plant, and of the dew, and of warmth.
"I am love," said the maiden.

[Study] of popcorn

Popcorn

P.R. Carter¹, D.R. Hicks², J.D. Doll¹, E.E. Schulte¹, R. Schuler¹, and B. Holmes¹

1Departments of Agronomy, Soil Science and Ag. Engineering. College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and Cooperative Extension Service, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53706.
²Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108. Nov. 1989.

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I. History:

Popcorn is a special kind of flint corn that was selected by Indians in early western civilizations. Although U.S. commercial popcorn production has always been centered in the Corn Belt, the major growing areas within this region have shifted over the years. Up to the mid 1940s, Iowa was the number one producer, with both production and processing plants concentrated in the western part of the state. Then, as popcorn hybrids began replacing open-pollinated varieties, production shifted eastward, first to Illinois and then to Indiana. Another major shift occurred in the mid 1970s when production jumped back to the west, so that Nebraska is now the leading popcorn producer.
Total U.S. popcorn acreage over the 5-year period 1977-81 averaged 189,000 acres per year, with 55% of that total in Nebraska and Indiana, and another 25% in Iowa, Ohio and Illinois.

II. Uses:

Popcorn is sold either as a plain or flavor-added popped product, or as an unpopped product in moisture-proof containers ranging from plastic bags and sealed jars to ready-to-use containers both for conventional and microwave popping. Popcorn flavor is enhanced to individual tastes with the addition of salt and butter. There is no end to the uses of popcorn. One recipe book lists 200 different recipes.
Nutritionally, it is one of the best all-around snack foods, providing 67% as much protein, 110% as much iron and as much calcium as an equal amount of beef. An average 1.5-ounce serving of popcorn supplies the same energy as two eggs; and a cup of unbuttered popcorn contains less calories than half a medium grapefruit. In addition, hull is excellent roughage, comparing favorably with bran flakes or whole wheat toast.

III. Growth Habits:

Popcorn moves through commercial channels primarily in three kernel types: white, small yellow and large yellow. White popcorn characteristically has a rice-shaped kernel, while yellow popcorn kernels are pearl-shaped. The three kernel types meet different needs within the industry, and growers and/or processors must take that into consideration when selecting hybrids. Kernel color of specialty popcorn may also be blue, red, black, or brown.
The popped appearance may resemble either a butterfly or a mushroom. The butterfly type is preferred for eating; while the mushroom type is used in confectionery products.
In performance trials, a hybrid is usually identified as one of the above types, although some medium-kernel yellows are now available that meet either the small- or large-kernel requirements after grading. No industry standards have been developed for kernel size determinations; but a commonly used measure is based on number of kernels in 10 grams and defines kernel size as follows:52-67 = large, 68-75 = medium and 76-105 small.
Popcorn hybrids generally have smaller plants and about 2/3 the yield per plant than dent corn. Stalk strength is relatively poor compared to dent corn hybrids.