Stone Age Snack?
Archaeologists have found 80,000-year-old corn pollen below Mexico City. Researchers believe that "cave people" most likely had popcorn.

It is believed that the first popcorn probably grew first in Mexico, despite the fact that it was used in China and India hundreds of years before Columbus reached the Americas. The reason they have come to this conclusion is due to the fact that they had found popcorn pollen under the city during archeological digs. Since the pollen is almost identical to that of today's popcorn, they have no reason to believe that the early Mexican Natives had discovered this precious food.

Tasty Fossils
The oldest popcorn ever found was discovered in the "Bat Cave" of central New Mexico. It is thought to be about 5,600 years old. In tombs in Peru, archaeologists found ancient kernels of popcorn that are so well preserved that they can still pop.

Sometimes, conditions can preserve ancient popcorn so perfectly that it still looks fluffy and white when the dust is blown off of it. In a cave in southern Utah, researchers found surprisingly fresh-looking 1,000-year-old popcorn.

Popcorn was probably an important part of life in the ancient Americas. On a 1,700-year-old painted funeral urn found in Mexico, a corn god is shown wearing a headdress of popcorn. Decorated popcorn poppers from around the same time have been found in Peru.

An Explosive Discovery
Europeans learned about popcorn from Native Americans. When Cortes invaded Mexico, and when Columbus arrived in the West Indies, each saw natives eating popcorn, as well as using it in necklaces and headdresses.

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 bowl of popcorn, served with cream or milk.

Closer to today
As the United States grew so did the country's love with popcorn, popcorn was sold by street vendors in towns and cities across the country. Many of these vendors could make a decent living by selling popcorn. At a nickel a bag or penny per popcorn ball, the profit in selling popcorn in the 1890s was said to be seventy cents on the dollar.

Like today, people of all ages ate popcorn and implemented its use in holiday decorations as well. For the home cooking adventurist there were recipes for making popcorn balls, candied popcorn, popcorn garnish for soup, "Pop-Corn" cakes, popcorn pudding, popcorn fritters, popcorn cereal, Cracker Jacks, chocolate covered popcorn and even popcorn brittle.