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Why Does Popcorn Pop? All Information About The Process and Preparation

Why popcorn pops is due to the liquid inside the kernel. Read what happens when preparing popcorn and how you can make the popular snack yourself.

Why popcorn pops – simply explained

When popcorn is heated, the water it contains expands, causing the husk to pop open.

  • The interior of corn kernels consists of starchy tissue and water. When heat is applied, the liquid contained evaporates and builds up pressure in the grain, which then causes it to burst.
  • The firm husk of popcorn corn can create so much pressure that the inside of the kernel puffs up and escapes explosively. This requires temperatures of around 180 degrees Celsius.
  • When the corn kernel is popped, the starch it contains swells and solidifies in the well-known foamy form.
  • The sudden escape of water vapor causes the pressure in the grain to drop sharply. This drop in pressure and the resulting voids in the grain create an audible noise.
  • Many other types of corn have a husk that is destroyed at lower temperatures. In this way no strong pressure can build up, these corn varieties cannot pop up.
  • Even the Native Americans prepared popcorn to eat or decorate their clothes with it. At Thanksgiving, they gave away popcorn to the settlers, thereby spreading the word.

Make popcorn yourself: Here’s how

You don’t have to go to the movies to eat popcorn. The snack is easy to make at home with just a few ingredients.

  1. Heat 3 tbsp cooking oil in a large saucepan and stir in tbsp sugar.
  2. Put 100 g of popcorn corn in the pot and immediately cover it with a lid or a tea towel. The bottom of the pot should be covered and the grains should not be on top of each other.
  3. Once the kernels begin to pop, reduce the heat. When the noise from the pot stops, the popcorn is done.
  4. If you prefer salty popcorn, you can simply omit the sugar during preparation and sprinkle salt over the finished popcorn instead.
  5. Popcorn is a versatile snack. You can combine it with melted chocolate, paprika powder, cinnamon, or other spices.
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Written by John Myers

Professional Chef with 25 years of industry experience at the highest levels. Restaurant owner. Beverage Director with experience creating world-class nationally recognized cocktail programs. Food writer with a distinctive Chef-driven voice and point of view.

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