Popcorn is a great snack, the perfect partner for movie sessions, and a spectacular snack at any time of the day. And, if we already prepare some delicious sweet popcorn… Even better! In addition, today, April 7, is Sweet Popcorn Day, and to celebrate it, we are going to learn more about this popular snack.
Popcorn is the result of cooking the kernels of a specific type of corn, known as Zea mays everta. Although in Mexico there are up to 7 varieties of corn suitable for making popcorn.
Popcorn pops with heat due to the water inside the kernels. When water is heated, it generates steam. Creating a high pressure that finally breaks the husk. Finally, the inside of the corn comes out in the form of a fluffy cloud.
What is sweet popcorn
This food, so popular all over the world, admits a multitude of variations. But undoubtedly, one of the most popular ways to eat popcorn is to prepare it in its sweetest version.
In fact, the ancient indigenous peoples of present-day Colombia already knew techniques to give a sweeter flavor to popcorn.
There are many ways to do it. For example, we can make sweet popcorn with butter, chocolate, caramel, honey… There are as many options as our imagination allows us.
History of this popular snack
Although it is a very popular appetizer, do you know its history? To whom is its invention attributed? It is a food with centuries of history, and ancient civilizations already knew methods to make their elaborations sweeter. So, to celebrate the sweet popcorn day, let’s learn about its history.
Before going to the origin of sweet popcorn, let’s go back a few centuries in history and go to Mexico. The place where corn was cultivated for the first time, more than 9,000 years ago. And corn is where popcorn comes from.
According to a recent discovery, there is evidence that in 3600 B.C., specifically in New Mexico, ancient civilizations such as the Mexica, Maya or Aztecs already knew about this food.
At that time they prepared them in clay pots that they filled with sand to increase the temperature, and they put them on the fire until they reached the right temperature and exploded. Popcorn was used both for eating and for making ornaments and charms.
Many years later, the popularity of popcorn grew enormously thanks to Charles Creators; who, in 1885, invented the first popcorn machine. The production of popcorn at the popcorn stands improved greatly due to this invention.
With the popularity of popcorn growing, and the new popcorn popper already invented, popcorn stands began to appear on every corner of the city. And Frederick Rueckheim’s position was one of them.
Determined to try new flavors, he tried adding molasses and nuts to his popcorn. After improving the recipe, this new appetizer appeared on the stage of the 1893 World’s Fair. And it soon became very popular.
Jack was a big baseball fan, and to every game he brought his traveling stand, which further boosted sales of sweet popcorn. From then on, popcorn aficionados began to create a multitude of different recipes for this sweet popcorn.
How to make sweet popcorn and celebrate your day
We can prepare sweet popcorn in a multitude of ways. It can be accompanied with many ingredients. But two of the most popular are caramel popcorn and chocolate popcorn.
Their preparation is very simple. If we opt for caramel popcorn, we will simply have to prepare the popcorn first. To do this, we will put a little oil in a frying pan and put it on the fire, when it is hot, we will add the corn. Do not forget to put the lid on to avoid picking up popcorn from all over the kitchen!
When the popcorn is ready, we will prepare the caramel. We can use butter or water, with either of them we will prepare a delicious caramel. We put it on the fire, together with the sugar, and start stirring until the caramel is formed. When it has the desired texture (but without thickening excessively), add the popcorn and mix well. Let the popcorn cool down and we have spectacular sweet popcorn ready to celebrate your day in style!
If you prefer the more chocolatey option, the process is the same, only instead of preparing a caramel, we will make melted chocolate. Then we mix it with the popcorn and, again, let it cool.
Which one do you prefer?
Sweet Popcorn Day
Every year, every April 7, it is celebrated as Sweet Popcorn Day, or Caramel Popcorn Day.
And, although we have thoroughly researched the origin of this day, and why it is celebrated, we have not found it. What is clear is that it was invented in the United States.
So if you also want to celebrate the sweet popcorn day, prepare this delicious snack at home and share it with everyone using the Hashtag #CaramelPopcornDay.
If you dare to celebrate popcorn day, remember to leave us your comments, ideas, opinions… We love to read them! And don’t forget to follow us on social networks to keep up to date with all our publications. You can find us on Twitter and Instagram.
