Tidbit #9 - April 4, 2011

Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Mmmm.. That's the stuff. The sound of popcorn popping is among one of the more pleasurable parts of the tasty snack. One of the less pleasurable aspects is waiting for it to finish popping. You might have wondered what exactly makes the popcorn pop.

Question: Why does popcorn pop?


Answer: Three elements of a popcorn kernel contribute to the making it that delicious treat: percentage of water, waterproof shell, and a starchy center.

When you heat the popcorn kernels up, the water inside the shell begins to steam.

If the shell is waterproof, then every single kernel is like a tiny pressure cooker. The starch in the kernel becomes something of a gelatin-like substance because of this.

Eventually, the pressure inside of the shell becomes too much for it to bear, and it bursts: pop!

In a split second of this happening, the water steam expands, causing the gel substance to expand and harden into an airy foam.

Basically, in every kernel of popcorn, the gel-starch expands and cools within milliseconds, causing it to solidify. That solidified product is our popcorn. Pop!


As a side-note, most people don't like the taste of just the pure popcorn starch, so many companies add in things like butter, sugar (for kettle corn), or processed cheese fuzz. The odd thing is, without all of these additives, popcorn is one of the healthiest snacks you can put into your body.