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Popcorn History
The history of popcorn dates back many centuries. It is believed that the first use of wild and early cultivated corn was for popping.
Historians believe that popcorn originated in Mexico, with the oldest ears of corn ever found coming from a Bat Cave in west central Mexico in 1948. The oldest Bat Cave ears are estimated to be over 4,000 years old. A funeral urn also found in Mexico from 300 A.D. shows a picture of a maize god with some form of primitive popcorn head-dress. Popcorn kernels have also been found in tombs on the east coast of Peru, some of which still pop after 1,000 years. The Cachise Indians, of what is now southeastern Arizona, are thought to have grown and eaten popcorn as far back as 2,500 B.C.
In the 16th century popcorn was used in Aztec Indian ceremonies. When Columbus first arrived in the West Indies he found the natives eating popcorn as well as using it for decoration.
In 1519, Cortes got his first sight of popcorn when he invaded Mexico and came into contact with the Aztecs. Popcorn was an important food for the Aztec Indians, who also used popcorn as decoration for ceremonial headdresses, necklaces and ornaments on statues of their gods, including Tlaloc, the god of rain and fertility.
By the time Europeans began to settle in America popcorn had spread to almost all Native American tribes. The English colonists were introduced to popcorn at the first Thanksgiving feast in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Historians believe one of the chief's brothers brought a goodwill gift of popped corn in a deerskin bag. After their introduction the colonists had the idea of eating popcorn with milk and sugar and so was introduced the concept of "breakfast cereal."
One of the earliest ways to pop corn was to toast it over an open fire or even to throw the cob directly into the fire until it began to pop. Another way to pop corn was to heat sand in a fire and stir kernels of popcorn in when the sand was fully heated.
American Indians would pierce the centre of the cob with a sharp stick then spread oil over the corn and lay it near a fire, causing the kernel to pop attached to the ear. They also used clay or metal cooking pots containing oil heated over an open fire. It wasn't until the 18th century when popping in oil really began to take off as the results and taste produced were far superior to that of toasted popcorn.
In the mid -1800's after the introduction of the moldboard plow, cultivation of corn, or maize, became more widely popular in the US. The popularity of popping corn started to grow.
Popcorn was very popular from the 1890s until the Great Depression. Street vendors used to follow crowds around, pushing steam or gas-powered poppers through fairs, parks and expositions.
During the Depression popcorn sold at 5 or 10 cents a bag and was one of the few luxuries that down-and-out families could afford. While other businesses failed, the popcorn business thrived.
During World War II most of our sugar was sent overseas for U.S. troops, which meant there wasn't much sugar left in the States to make candy. With out the availability of sweet snacks, Americans ate three times as much popcorn as usual.
The Popcorn Popper
Charles Cretors, founder of C. Cretors and Company in Chicago (www.cretors.com), introduced the world's first mobile popcorn machine at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Scientific American reported: "This machine...was designed with the idea of moving it about to any location where the operator would be likely to do a good business. The apparatus, which is light and strong, and weighing but 400 or 500 pounds, can be drawn readily by a boy or by a small pony to any picnic ground, fair, political rally, etc. and to many other places where a good business could be done for a day or two."
By 1900, Cretors introduced the "Special" the first large horse drawn popcorn wagon. It was an immediate success. In the 1930's movie theatre operators would not allow the popcorn machines inside the buildings because it wasn't "respectable". However, the operators soon began to take the use of popcorn machine as an extra profit maker more seriously. Cretors introduced various machine models designed specifically for movie theatre and concession stand use.
After WWII steam models were replaced by electric popcorn machines. Cretors introduced more automation and a model built with a Walnut cabinet.
In the 1950's and 60's electric oil pumps and automation changed the efficiencies of the popcorn machines. With the introduction of TV movie attendance dropped and production was directed to production of machines for large volume users.
Since the 70's innovations such as stainless steel kettles, neon lights, larger kettles and full automation have been introduced to the industry. New manufactures have entered the market and continue to update the efficiencies, options and quality of the popcorn machines.
Over the last few years the proliferation of home theatres has sparked the introduction of popcorn machines for use at home.
Microwave Popcorn
Percy Spencer, Raytheon Manufacturing Corporation, figured out how to mass produce magnetrons which were being used to generate microwaves for use in World War II. Looking for post-war applications of Raytheon technology, Spencer spurred the development of the microwave oven. Popcorn was key to many of Spencer's experiments.
In the early 1980's, microwave popcorn was introduced to the popcorn family. Today, more than 80% of U.S. consumer's households own microwaves.
Popcorn Butter
Odell's began in 1961 when the original owner, Virgil Odell, discovered a process used by the military to remove water and milk solids from butter. During this time theatres were using creamery butter that would separate when melted and required refrigeration. This process led to the introduction of Odell's Anhydrous Butterfat, a REAL Butter that required no refrigeration and did not separate. It was an immediate success. (Odell's History Link)
Many premium movie theatres continue to use Odell's REAL Butter popcorn topping today.
During the next decade Odell's saw a consumer trend toward the use of margarine and began working on an economical alternative to the Anhydrous Butterfat. That's when Supur-Kist Two was born. Supur-Kist Two consists of soybean oil and a specially formulated buttery flavoring. This buttery formula is designed to peak when heated, providing consumers with both a buttery aroma and taste that is hard to match. This led to another success with theatres, an economical product that smells and tastes like butter on popcorn.
Why Popcorn Pops
The folklore of some Native American tribes told of spirits who lived inside each kernel of popcorn. The spirits were quiet and content to live on their own -- but grew angry if their houses were heated. The hotter their homes became, the angrier they'd get -- shaking the kernels until the heat was too much. Finally they would burst out of their homes and into the air as a disgruntled puff of steam.
Each kernel of popcorn does contain a small drop of water stored inside a circle of soft starch. The soft starch is surrounded by the kernel's hard outer surface.
As the kernel heats up, the water begins to expand, and pressure builds against the hard starch. Eventually, this hard surface gives way, causing the popcorn to explode.
As it explodes, the soft starch inside the popcorn becomes inflated and bursts, turning the kernel inside out. The steam inside the kernel is released, and the popcorn is popped!
Popcorn Today
Americans consume over 54 quarts of popcorn per man, woman and child each year. Approximately 70 percent of that is purchased at retail stores in both raw, microwave and popped form, and eaten at home. Americans still enjoy their popcorn at the movies and sporting events. Popcorn is still the most popular food item purchased at your theatre's concession stand.
Today, Odell's is the leading supplier of quality popcorn popping and topping products for the theatre and concession industry in North America. In recent years we have led the industry in introducing new innovations in both equipment and popping and topping products. Our latest innovations have been packaging our concession products in the retail sizes that are available on our web site.
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