- Popcorn is believed to be one of the oldest snack foods on earth. Popcorn kernels over 5600 years old were found in caves in New Mexico. Grains of popcorn over 1,000 years old were discovered in Peru and were so well–preserved that the corn still popped today.
- 1500 years ago the Native Americans of what is now Arizona popped corn in clay pots 8 feet wide. Other Native American tribes popped corn right on the cob, by spearing the corn cob with a stick and holding it near an open fire. The kernels would pop and stay attached to the cob.
- Christopher Columbus observed West Indies natives wearing popcorn corsages and ceremonial headdresses when he first visited the New World and is credited with introducing popcorn to the Europeans in the late 15th century. At the time, over 700 different popcorns were being grown in the Americas.
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- Traditionally, Native American tribes
flavored popcorn with dried herbs and spices, possibly even chili. They also made popcorn into soup and beers.
- Cortez wrote in his diaries that he was greeted by Aztecs bearing and wearing popcorn.
- American Indians brought popcorn to the first Thanksgiving dinner in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The Colonists loved popcorn so much they regularly served it with sugar and cream for breakfast, giving rise to the first puffed breakfast cereal.
- Kettle corn, a sweet and salty variety of popcorn that is popped in iron kettles and sweetened with sugar, honey and sometimes molasses before adding salt. Kettle corn was introduced in the colonial United States in the early 1700s. It was a special treat popular at fairs and festivals.
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