Actually, popcorn is more than scraping it off the cob and dipping it in butter to make popcorn. The corn kernels undergo strict processing before they end up like popcorn in your bowl while you watch your favorite late-night TV show.
Among the five types of corn, popcorn is the only variety that appears consistently and regularly. The other varieties of corn can pop when exposed to very high temperatures, but they don’t get that perfect picture, almost a white consistency that is used in commercially prepared popcorn that you get on supermarket shelves.
The secret to that nice popcorn consistency is incredibly just water. Each kernel of corn that goes into the popcorn machine contains a regulated amount of water so that it pops evenly and beautifully. Popcorn producers and processors try to keep the water content level in each kernel at 13.5% for the best popping results. The water is stored in the soft, starch-based coating that surrounds each popcorn kernel. A secondary layer of hard starch serves as the final outer layer, retaining all moisture until the grain is exposed to extreme temperatures. The water contained inside heats up when placed at high temperatures and the outer layer of hard starch tries to retain it. The grain expands with high pressure and heat until the outer shell can no longer hold, then all the grain explodes, flipping it over. The water is released as steam as the corn bursts.
Other varieties of corn possess similar grain anatomy, but their starch coatings are not strong enough to hold a good amount of pressure when heated. Therefore, the kernel does not pop to the perfect consistency and size like the true popcorn variety.
So there you have it – it’s a plain, plain corn kernel, but the story that goes into its transformation into the most popular entertainment snack item is just as surprising as the movies we watch as we chew on them.
