Who Were The First People To Eat Popcorn
August 1, 2024
Topsy’s gourmet popcorn has been a tradition in Kansas City for over 80 years. But have you ever wondered just how long people have been eating popcorn, or the first people to eat popcorn were?
The fact that popcorn is a popular snack at movie theaters and sporting events might make some believe that popcorn is a relatively recent invention. In fact, the history of popcorn stretches back thousands of years.
Corn is native to the American continent. You might read references in old literature to “corn” in other places like Europe and the Middle East, but this is because “corn” was at one time simply used as a word for the main crop grown in a particular place. In America, however, the word stuck as a term for maize, the grain with ears and kernels we think of when we use the word “corn” today.
So of course, the first people to eat popcorn lived on the American continent. Ears of corn that are estimated to be about 4,000 years old have been found in caves in what is now New Mexico. This is the earliest evidence we have for the consumption of corn as a food.
In fact, researchers believe that maize was first used for popping before it was cultivated or consumed in any of the other forms we know today. That’s right: people were enjoying popcorn before they ever ate things like corn on the cob or cornbread.
Popcorn has continued to be made and eaten ever since. Spanish explorers wrote about Aztec and native Peruvian populations making popcorn and even using it as part of their costuming for ceremonial dances during the 16th and 17th centuries.
Nowadays, popcorn isn’t a staple of many people’s diets the way it may have been thousands of years ago. But of course, it’s enjoyed by millions as a delicious snack in various flavors and varieties. If this history lesson has given you a craving, order a tin of our famous gourmet popcorn or stop by one of our store locations around Kansas City and pick up a tin in your favorite flavor today!
