National Popcorn Poppin’ Month

October was chosen for one perfect reason: the harvest. Each fall, the Midwest popcorn harvest rolls in, and as the Popcorn Board puts it, the new crop reminds us that popcorn will always be the naturally fun snack for the entire family. The celebration had been popping along informally for years, but it became official in 1999, when then Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman proclaimed October as National Popcorn Poppin’ Month. Indiana even turned the occasion into a point of pride, with the Valparaiso Popcorn Festival running for nearly 50 years and the town of Van Buren holding its own annual popcorn festival, now in its 53rd year.

Popcorn earns its month with a resume no other snack can match. It is a type of maize, a grain in the grass family, with the botanical name Zea mays everta. Of the six types of maize, pod, sweet, flour, dent, flint, and popcorn, only popcorn pops. Americans consume some 16 billion quarts of it every year, which works out to 51 quarts per man, woman, and child. Compared to most snacks, it is also a genuinely sensible choice: air popped popcorn has only 31 calories per cup, oil popped has just 55, and a full whole grain serving is three generous cups. Popcorn is naturally gluten free, a whole grain, and endlessly customizable.

Then there is the history, which is more dramatic than most snacks can claim. The oldest ears of popcorn ever found were discovered in the Bat Cave of west central New Mexico and are about 4,000 years old. In 1519, explorer Cortez got his first sight of popcorn when he encountered the Aztecs, who used it as decoration for ceremonial headdresses, necklaces, and ornaments on statues of their gods. The kernels you did not quite pop have a name too: they are called old maids. When popcorn pops in a round shape it is called mushroom popcorn, and the wild unpredictable shapes are called butterfly popcorn. And Nebraska holds the crown as the number one popcorn producer in America, growing almost 250 million pounds per year.

Of course, the modern popcorn era belongs to the movies. A century of darkened theaters, striped tubs, and shared handfuls turned a humble farm crop into a cultural ritual. The smell of popping corn alone can transport a person back to first dates, childhood matinees, and Friday nights on the couch. Even the technology of popcorn has its own folklore. Pillsbury introduced microwave popcorn in 1982, putting a popper in millions of kitchens overnight. The unpopped kernels left at the bottom of the bag earned their own nickname, old maids. A kernel that pops round is called mushroom popcorn, prized by caramel corn makers for its sturdy shape, while the irregular shapes are butterfly popcorn, the classic theater style. And in a charming holiday tradition, popcorn is still threaded onto strings and hung as garland on North American Christmas trees. October, with its crisp evenings and long dark nights, is the ideal season to honor it. So this month, pop some corn, snap some photos, and share your favorite flavor. After all, there are so many variations it is nearly impossible to get sick of it: buttery, cheesy, caramel, kettle, spicy, sweet, and every combination in between.

Nebraska deserves a special shout during this month, since it is the number one popcorn producer in America at almost 250 million pounds per year. The Midwest as a whole grows the vast majority of the nation’s crop, with Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, and Missouri all contributing. When you settle in with a bowl this October, chances are good those kernels traveled from a heartland farm straight to your stovetop. That is a supply chain worth celebrating, one pop at a time.

THE STORY BEHIND NATIONAL POPCORN POPPIN’ MONTH

🏛 The 1999 Proclamation
For more than 30 years, October had been celebrated as National Popcorn Poppin’ Month, but it became official in 1999 when Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman proclaimed it. The popcorn industry chose October because of the fall popcorn harvest in the Midwest. A presidential cabinet member declaring a snack month is the kind of government action we can all get behind.

🌾 The Harvest Connection
According to the Popcorn Board, October was picked because the popcorn harvest takes place each fall in the Midwest. Each year when the new crop is harvested, it reminds us that popcorn will always be the naturally fun snack for the entire family. Most American popcorn is grown in Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, and Missouri.

🪨 4,000 Years of Pop
The oldest ears of popcorn ever found were discovered in the Bat Cave of west central New Mexico in 1948 and 1950. Ranging from smaller than a penny to about two inches long, the oldest Bat Cave ears are about 4,000 years old. Your snack has been around longer than most civilizations.

🧮 The Aztec Connection
In 1519, Cortez got his first sight of popcorn when he encountered the Aztecs. Popcorn was an important food for them, and they also used it as decoration for ceremonial headdresses, necklaces, and ornaments on statues of their gods. Festive and sacred, long before the movie theater.

🍿 The 5,000 Pound Ball
Volunteers in Sac City, Iowa created the world’s largest popcorn ball in February 2009. It weighed 5,000 pounds, stood over 8 feet tall, and measured 28.8 feet in circumference. Somewhere, a very large bowl and a very ambitious group of Iowans made snack history.

🎬 The Movie Magic
No food is more married to an experience than popcorn is to the movies. Three words explain its reign: movie theatre butter. It is easy, inexpensive, and addicting beyond belief. Seriously, has anyone ever had just one piece of popcorn and then stopped? We did not think so.

🌱 The Nebraska Crown
Nebraska is the number one popcorn producer in America, growing almost 250 million pounds per year. The Midwest grows the vast majority of the nation’s crop, so every bowl this October is a small tribute to heartland farmers.

⚡ The Microwave Revolution
Pillsbury invented microwave popcorn in 1982, putting a popper in millions of kitchens practically overnight. What once took a heavy pot and a watchful eye became a three minute miracle. The humble bag remains one of the great convenience breakthroughs of the snack world.

WAYS TO CELEBRATE

🍿 Host a Popcorn and Movie Marathon
Set up the ultimate living room theater with blankets, dimmed lights, and a big bowl of your signature pop. Try a new flavor each week: cheesy jalapeno, caramel pecan, white chocolate peppermint, or the purist’s plain buttered classic.

🪵 Build a Popcorn Toppings Bar
Invite friends over and lay out sprinkles, chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, crushed cookies, nuts, and ranch seasoning. Everyone builds their own mix and defends their creation. The only rule: no fighting over the last few pieces.

🎉 Visit a Popcorn Festival
Look for a fall popcorn festival near you, like the long running celebrations in Valparaiso and Van Buren, Indiana. Parades, popcorn themed treats, and whole towns in a popping mood make for the perfect October day trip.

Celebrate National Popcorn Poppin’ Month

Pop often, share generously, and never trust a movie night without a bowl of popcorn on hand.