The History Of Popcorn Poppers

Popcorn has been known for at least 5,000 years. South American Indians ate it, made beer with it, and created a god to worship for its continued blessings upon them. It was a staple of the Native Americans' diet, as well as an ornament for the distinguished lady's hair. American colonists made soup from popcorn, and no Victorian Christmas tree was truly decorated without strands and strands of popcorn adorning it. Baseball games, county fairs and circuses couldn't function without the sales of the hot, fluffy kernels. During World War II, sugar rationing caused popcorn to become the nation's substitute for sweet treats, causing it to be consumed at three times the rate it had been before the War began. And a trip to the movies wouldn't be complete without a tub of popcorn's buttery goodness to accompany the film. Popcorn has become such a part of our cultural history that school children have Popcorn Day to celebrate its long and illustrious history. Still, history tends to focus on the ones making and eating popcorn (or decorating their hair or Christmas trees with it) than on the technology that brought about the change from dried kernel of grain to fluffy, fantastic treat.