We eat and drink many things in our daily lives, but if we are asked where they came from, we hardly know. For example, if cassava was not processed in several stages, we would not have been able to eat this poisonous plant. Similarly, popcorn, which we know as corn in India, is very sweet and tasty. But have you ever wondered how popcorn was discovered? Who identified it for the first time? Some scientists have told about it, which is very interesting.
According to scientists, evidence of corn cultivation has been found in the dry caves of Mexico about 9,000 years ago. From here, corn cultivation spread throughout North and South America. Later it reached other countries of the world. Although there are many types of corn, most of which burst on heating, but one variety, which is actually called ‘popcorn’, makes the best popcorn. Scientists said that 6,700 years ago, a burnt kernel of corn called phytolith was found in Peru. This is considered the best popcorn.
gets stuck in your teeth
Although most of the things in a food like corn get destroyed, so it does not remain preserved. But the lower part of the corn is very hard. Which often gets stuck in your teeth while eating. It has to be heated to make it edible. Sometimes it burns. Archaeologists have found evidence that this part, called phytolith, can remain under a piece of rock for thousands of years and does not spoil.
How did you know that it was an edible thing?
The story of how corn was discovered is also interesting. A few years ago, an archaeologist found some corn grains. He was standing near a fire, when some of the grains fell into the fire. The grains burst as soon as they got hot and were called popcorn. Then the scientist said that this is a new way of preparing food. Popped corn will last for a long time and it is also easy to prepare. After research, it was found that corn was prepared from a wild grass called teosinte 8,000 years ago. Cultivation was first done by Native Americans in what is now Mexico. People used to collect wild teosinte and eat the seeds, which contained a lot of starch. This is exactly like the carbohydrate you find in bread or pasta.
Then it was adopted as food
It is impossible to know why and how popcorn was invented, but scientists think that corn had starch, so people adopted it as food. They used to remove some water from it, which eliminated the possibility of it spoiling. When you heat it, the water inside comes out in the form of steam. This makes the popcorn pop. Then the popped corn can last for a long time. Today people consider it a delicious snack.
FIRST PUBLISHED : July 7, 2024, 17:52 IST
