Whenever we head to the theatres to catch a movie, we will no doubt grab some popcorn to accompany our movie-watching experience. Popcorn has become such a staple food in our lives that we overlook or are unaware of the rich history that popcorn holds. As such, lai lai, let Uncle DiDi school you in on some interesting and fun facts about popcorn. Don’t take this article too seriously because, at the end of the day, it’s just popcorn lah, so sit down, relax, and enjoy these little trivia.
1. Popcorn is over 5,000 years old
Contrary to popular belief, popcorn is not a novel creation that has popped out (no pun intended) in the last few years. Thanks to archaeologists exploring a site in Mexico, we discovered that popcorn could trace its origins back to 5,000 years ago. Just to blow your mind even more, that’s the time of the Stone Age, when humans started using metal and bronze to make tools and other objects. Of course, it was not exactly popcorn back in those days, but rather popped corn kennels that were fossilised. Aiyah, that’s close enough!
2. The United States is the no. 1 fan of popcorn
“Everything is bigger in the USA”. When it comes to popcorn, that quote is certainly true leh. Do you know Americans eat about 18 billion litres of popcorn yearly? To give you a clearer picture of how much that is, one Olympic-sized swimming pool is only filled with 2.5 million litres of water. So yeah, you do the maths ah. This easily makes them the largest popcorn consumer in the world, though Asia, particularly China and India, are soon catching up.
That’s not all, hor. As the biggest consumer, it also makes sense that the United States is the largest producer of popcorn, with their production worth USD$2.3 billion in 2022. Americans take popcorn so seriously that one of their states, Illinois, has declared popcorn as their official snack food.
3. Celebrate National Popcorn Day on 19th January
With many foods having their very own commemorations or special days dedicated to them, are we even surprised that there’s a National Popcorn Day? The event lies on 19th January, and the first-ever reported year it was observed was 2003. Sorry to burst your bubble ah, as National Popcorn Day is not a public holiday, though that does not mean you can’t celebrate it. All you have to do is grab that delicious popcorn and start munching away! Simple and fuss-free – just what we like here at Uncle DiDi.
4. October is National Popcorn Poppin’ Month
Since there’s a National Popcorn Day, of course, there will be a National Popcorn month to go along with it. Officially titled National Popcorn Poppin’ Month, the celebration does not occur in January, but instead in October. This month was chosen by the Popcorn Board (we’re not making this up hor!) as it is when the crop is harvested.
Similar to National Popcorn Day, there are no strict rules to celebrating the holiday, though some people may observe the day by experimenting with trendy popcorn flavours, making new popcorn creations, and eating bowls of popcorn with their loved ones.
5. Microwavable popcorn first appeared in 1982
Love them or hate them, we cannot deny that microwavable popcorn is super convenient lah. Just pop (okay, this time it’s intentional) them into the microwave and ta-dah! Piping hot and crunchy popcorn that’s ready to consume. We can thank one company for this smart invention – Pillsbury. In 1982, they created the world’s first frozen microwave popcorn. Remember those baking goods plastered with a logo containing a white, marshmallow-looking man? Yup, it’s by them.
Conclusion
However, if you consider yourself a picky eater and want only the freshest foods, no worries, as Uncle DiDi has your back. As Singapore’s favourite uncle, how can we leave our local popcorn lovers behind? From offering shiok salted popcorn in Singapore to a wide variety of locally inspired popcorn flavours, we can double confirm plus chop that you never and will never have popcorn this good. We currently have new seasonal flavours – Spicy Buffalo Wings and Red Velvet Cinnamon – that are must-tries. Otherwise, you can also pick from our range of fresh cotton candies.
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