A history that pops

Movie theaters have remained shuttered in most parts of the world, which means that people have not been consuming the most popular snack at the cinema: popcorn. It’s a versatile treat, because depending on how you make it and top it, popcorn can be anything from virtuous to decadent. Over at Serious Eats, Michelle Delgado recounts the long history of this movie-time snack.

You may not know that popcorn is one of the oldest foods around. Archaeologists have found evidence that popcorn was consumed in Peru 6,700 years ago, although it has changed since the first kernels were toasted over open fires. Through selective breeding, the kernels have become fluffier and larger over the centuries.

It wasn’t until the turn of the 19th century that popcorn became a popular snack across the nation and eventually the world. The rise of electricity and with it, portable electric popcorn making machines, meant that vendors could easily follow the crowds on city streets. The association of popcorn with movies came during the Depression, when desperate theater owners looked for ways to boost their sagging income. Now sales of popcorn, soda, and other snacks are the most profitable part of any theater chain, which is why some have turned to selling popcorn during the pandemic as a way to stay afloat. History often repeats itself in strange ways.

Photo of Spiced butter popcorn from Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street