“Soft percussion and a toasty scent mark the violent transformation of tough seeds into cloud-like puffs. This is the almost magical process of popcorn-making. Dozens of kinds of popcorn are now grown in the US, with different strains assuming distinctive shapes when their kernels explode. So, how did we actually end up with this whimsical food?”
From the tall grass called teosinte from what is now southern Mexico to the maize cultivated by indigenous American communities, to the buttery snack that’s been synonymous with movie-going since the Great Depression, learn more about corn and the history of popcorn.
This sponsored TED-Ed lesson was written by Andrew Smith and directed by Mitchelle Tamariz. The sponsor message appears 4m59s.
Watch these related videos next on TKSST:
• How to Make Popcorn on the Cob, from seed to snack
• The Physics of Popcorn: Why Popcorn Also Jumps
• Amazing Chinese Popcorn Cannon
• Popcorn Under A Microscope, a science and history short by NPR’s Skunk Bear
• Salt and Pepper, an Edible Histories introduction
• Chef Ludo Lefebvre visits the Bordier Butter Factory
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