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Welcome to Everything-Popcorn.com
...the destination for your taste buds ...a
popcorn lovers paradise!
If you've ever had the pleasure of enjoying this tasty treat
that's fun to eat, then this site is just what you've been looking
for.
As a fellow popcorn lover it's my desire to bring you a
one-stop-spot for all things popcorn. Here you'll find a
collection of news, web sites, products and advertising on the
subject of popcorn.
So whether you enjoy a big bowl of caramel covered corn, or butter
and salt is your flavor, you're sure to find something to suit
your various Popcorn tastes here.
Come often and enjoy!
About Popcorn
Popcorn or popping corn is a type of corn which puffs up when it
is heated in oil or by dry heat. Some natural types will pop, but
the cultivated strain is Zea mays L. subsp. mays (Everta Group),
which is a special kind of flint corn. It is a popular snack in
the United States and other countries, and is particularly common
in movie theaters. It is often served with butter and salt. It is
also sometimes flavored with sugar or spices. Special varieties of
corn are grown to give improved popping yield.
Popcorn balls (popped kernels stuck together with a sugary "glue")
are a traditional Halloween treat. Cracker Jack is a popular,
commercially produced candy that consists of peanuts mixed in with
caramel-covered popcorn.
How 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 contains a small drop of water stored
inside a circle of soft starch. (That's why popcorn needs to
contain 13.5 percent to 14 percent moisture.) 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.
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