Popcorn

August 31

I am thankful for popcorn. It is probably the snack food which I indulge in more than any other. I love popcorn. I sometimes go to movies just so I can have popcorn. I remember as a child when my family visited my grandparents in Franklin, Indiana, my grandmother would pop us up a batch of Indiana popcorn, spread out newspapers, throw the popcorn on it, salt it, and we would chow down. Indiana knows how to grow corn, so that native Indiana popcorn was wonderful.

I know it's mostly air and carbohydrate, it's got fat from the cooking oil, and then there's the salt. But there must be some nutrient value to it. I know it has good fiber content. One recent report found that popcorn contains high amounts of polyphenol antioxidants. So there is some good nutrition in that little kernal. One day I think I'll develop a popcorn slimming diet regiment!

According to Wikipedia, the corn contains some water and oil inside the kernal. When heated, it causes steam to build up inside, gelatinizing the carbohydrate. The kernal eventually explodes through the kernal and the carbohydrate and protein form a puff as it cools. Voila-popcorn! I like some microwave popcorn (Pop Secret Home Style is my favorite) but I especially love Orville Reddenbacker's Gourmet Popping Corn cooked in a stirred popcorn maker.

I took the photo above last night just before I devoured it (well, I had a little help from Bebe). The photo of the cornfield below was taken in Illinois, I believe, several years ago.

popcorn

pop

pop

i love to watch it pop

i love the rhythm

from beginning to stop

pop

pop

popop, popop

popcorn sounds just right

but even better than that

is the tasty delight.

© rt tulley

August 31b