All About Popcorn

Corny Facts

Americans consume some 14 billion* quarts of this whole grain, good-for-you treat. That’s 43 quarts per man, woman, and child.

Popcorn is a type of maize (or corn), a member of the grass family, and is scientifically known as Zea mays everta.

Popcorn differs from other types of maize/corn in that it has a thicker pericarp/hull. The hull allows pressure from the heated water to build and eventually bursts open. The inside starch becomes gelatinous while being heated; when the hull bursts, the gelatinized starch spills out and cools, giving it its familiar popcorn shape.

* Average based on 2016-2020 sales

 

 

 

Popcorn Pieces