Popcorn Facts

  • Canadians consume about 1.6 billion quarts of popcorn every year.
  • Popcorn is low in calories. Air popped popcorn has only 30 calories per quart.
  • Popcorn is derived from maize. Its scientific name is “Zea Mays Everta”
  • Of all the different type of popcorn maize is the only one that pops.
  • Popcorn is considered of a whole grain. It is made up for 3 parts pericarp, germ, endosperm.
  • The ideal moisture of pop popcorn is about 13% – 14%
  • Popcorn is made right here in Canada.
  • Most popcorn is sold during the fall and winter seasons.
  • When popcorn is popped it comes in two different shapes, mushroom and snowflake
  • Snowflake pops bigger and is used mostly used in the movie theatres
  • Mushroom popcorn is used mostly in vending units because it doesn’t crumble as easily.
  • The #1 use of microwave ovens is to pop popcorn
  • 98% of all household microwaves have a popcorn button
  • The term that refers to the percentage of kernels that pop in a batch is called POPABILITY
  • All popcorn needs a hull to pop. Without this the hard outer wall will not have enough pressure to pop the popcorn.
  • Popcorn can pop up to 3 feet in the air.
  • Popcorn comes in over 600 different varieties.
  • Kettle corn was first invented in the early 1700’s. People would pop the popcorn in large kettles hence the term kettle corn.
  • Korn has no relation to Popcorn
  • Kettle corn is one of the most profitable businesses in farmer markets. It has low overhead and high profit margins.
  • Microwave popcorn was first discovered in 1945 by Perry Spencer.
  • Popcorn became very popular during the great depression, for its low cost of production.
  • With the decline in movie attendance in the 1950’s popcorns popularity dropped off, but with the invention of microwave popcorn and home popcorn poppers its popularity has steadily increased.
  • October is National Popcorn Popping month.