Food History – Did you know that Native Americans cultivated maize, or corn, from wild grass? The corn first grew in Central America 7,000 years ago. It was an important food for Native Americans for centuries and was served at the first Thanksgiving. The kernels looked very different from today’s corn. They were small and didn’t touch each other like the kernels on our corn on the cob.
Corn Maze! Can you find the path from the corn to the popcorn?
Here are some fun popcorn facts about this crunchy treat we’ll bet you didn’t know!
Native Americans brought a bag of popped corn to the first Thanksgiving. A common way to eat popcorn at that time was to hold an oiled ear on a stick over the fire, then chew the popped kernels off it. Natives throughout the Americas also made a popcorn beer. Some made popcorn soup. After learning about the fluffy food, colonists began enjoying the first puffed breakfast cereal—a bowl of popcorn, served with cream or milk. – FactMonster
Other fun popcorn facts for kids:
- Popcorn, threaded onto a string, is used as a Christmas tree decoration in some parts of North America
- Shipping companies have experimented with using popcorn as a biodegradable replacement for polystyrene packing material
- The world’s largest popcorn ball was unveiled in 2006 weighed 3,415 pounds, measured 8 feet in diameter
- An early popcorn machine in a street cart (see image) was invented in the 1880s by Charles Cretors in Chicago.
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