Popcorn is one of the world’s oldest snacks. Corn was first domesticated about 10,000 years ago in today’s Pery and Mexico. It is believed that ancient indigenous people prepared and consumed popcorn 7,000 years ago.
Popcorn is so famous around the world for many reasons. First, it is filling, and it tastes great. Also, popcorn is an inexpensive snack, and it is easy to prepare. In other words, it is instant and convenient, perfect for our hectic lifestyle.
But what is so great about popcorn is that it is not just a delicious snack. Moreover, popcorn is a healthy food, too!
Popcorn belongs to whole grain food. It contains various essential nutrients known for their health benefits, such as iron, zinc, potassium, magnesium, copper, vitamins, and more.
In addition, popcorn is high in fiber and low in sugar and fat. It contains no cholesterol. For this reason, you will find a variety of popcorn-based diets, such as the vegan popcorn diet, keto popcorn diet, and more.
However, popcorn can be an excellent dietary choice as long as you don’t prepare it in oil and drench it with butter and other toppings. With this in mind, plain air-popped corn would be the healthiest option.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), when prepared this way, three cups of popcorn have only about 90 calories (or about 30 calories per cup).
In addition, the popcorn variety of corn is not genetically modified (in contrast to most other corn sorts ingrown in the US). This means that there is no genetically modified popcorn on the market.
A survey by National Today shows that 92 percent of Americans (over nine in ten people) love popcorn. Most people (over 40 percent) prefer their popcorn sweet. The most popular popcorn flavor is butter and salt, followed by cheese and caramel.
It is believed that popcorn won consumers’ hearts back in the 1900s when people were buying it on street corners as ‘pearls.’ Today, gourmet popcorn comes in a great variety of flavors to cater to every taste.
Whether you like it salty, sweet, or spicy (or any combination of these), the choice of gourmet popcorn is almost endless.
Gourmet popcorn has become an inevitable part of wedding dessert tables in recent years. Originally and tastefully displayed wedding popcorn bars can be an excellent addition to any wedding theme. You can also give gourmet popcorn as welcome gifts or favor gifts at your bridal shower or wedding reception in decorated popcorn boxes, bags, or containers.