There are so many snacks out there for a person to try out. You got your chocolates. You got your crackers. You got your cookies. You got your nuts. You got your fruit snacks…. But the best snack out there is none of these. The best snack out there is popcorn.
Now, popcorn comes in many different flavors, varieties, and even ways to cook. Today we are going for the quick to grab, easy to pop, microwave popcorn.
And out of the brands we have, we will find out which one reigns supreme on today’s episode of Quest for the Best.
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Which brands of popcorn are we trying today?
Jolly Time
Orville Redenbacher
Act II
Cousin Willie’s
Who is on this yummy quest?
Kris, aka Kinky Kris.
Nate, whispers sweet nothings.
Matt, does the job.
Amy, popcorn connoisseur.
And of course, our subscribers! Thanks to our small, yet coveted group. We appreciate the support. You too can join us on this food journey. All you need to do is… SUBSCRIBE!
The History of Microwave Popcorn
While you may automatically think of movie theaters, air poppers, or stove tops, popcorn dates back thousands of years. Corn was probably cultivated as a domesticated crop around 9,000 years ago, but it wasn’t until 2012 that archaeologists unearthed the first evidence of popcorn in Peru; 6,700-year-old cobs studded with puffed kernels.
While maize was grown throughout Mesoamerica, South America, and North America, it was also a very important cultural staple for some tribes. Popcorn was integral to early 16th century Aztec tradition. Aztec Indians used popcorn as decoration for ceremonial headdresses, necklaces, and ornaments on statues of their gods, including Tlaloc, the god of rain and fertility.
Early popcorn likely resembled parched corn, which is made by cooking dried kernels in a frying pan. It would be thousands of years of careful cultivation of a few different strains of corn before we would be chowing down on the fluffy kernels we love today.
One invention that would ensure the survival of popcorn was the steel plow in the mid-1800s. Soon after this invention, corn became such an important cash crop in Nebraska, Iowa, and Indiana, that it was dubbed “prairie gold.” With all this “prairie gold” came innovation on how to pop the corn. Inventions such as corn-popping devices that had a stay-cool handle burst onto the popcorn scene. And in 1885, Charles Crestors invented a lightweight electric machine that popped corn in oil, allowing vendors to travel and to make bank.
Popcorn has been a cheap snack for a long time, but to these vendors, it was an excellent source of income. And nothing boosted that income more than movie theaters. When the first wave of theaters opened in the 1920s and 30s, popcorn wasn’t allowed however. Actually, no foods or drinks were allowed in an effort to keep the theaters clean and pristine. As the industry grew, and technology advanced, going from silent movies to audible movies, movie theaters shifted their stances to help bring in more patrons and money. Movie theaters started renting portions of their lobbies to popcorn and snack vendors. There are depression-era stories of farmers and vendors who made thousands of dollars during the great depression, which is quite a feat.
So when did microwave popcorn blast into the scene?
The first microwaved popcorn happened in a researcher’s lab in the 1940s. Researcher Percy Spencer was working on a magnetron when the chocolate bar in his pocket started to melt. He realized that his proximity to the magnetron is what caused this, and the next day he brought a handful of popcorn kernels to the lab. And the first popcorn popped by a microwave device was born. Spencer’s employer patented the microwave oven, but it would be years and years before microwave popcorn actually was developed.
The first microwave popcorn from a bag was patented in 1978. These bags were sold from the freezer section since they used real dairy products, making refrigerators necessary. The first shelf stable microwave popcorn was the brand Act II (Act I actually was the frozen section popcorn)
As of 2020, the most popular brands of popcorn in the U.S. are…
Orville Redenbacher - consumed by 63.59 million Americans
Pop Secret - Consumed by 49.16 million Americans
Act II - Consumed by 47.2 million Americans
Store Brand - Consumed by 45.36 million Americans
Cracker Jack - Consumed by 17.27 million Americans
Jiffy Pop - Consumed by 16.86 million Americans
Smartfood - Consumed by 15.01 million Americans
Jolly Time - Consumed by 14.9 million Americans
The Results
**SPOILER ALERT!**
Listen to the episode first if you do not want the results revealed to you yet!
Subscribed
4th/3rd Place: Jolly Time
Amy - 5
Kris - 6
Matt - 7
Nate - 5
4th/3rd Place: Orville Redenbacher
Amy - 7
Kris - 6
Matt - 6
Nate - 4
2nd Place: Cousin Willie’s
Amy - 8
Kris - 7
Matt - 5
Nate - 8
1st Place: Act II
Amy - 9
Kris - 8
Matt - 7
Nate - 7
There you have it. Act II receives the Quest for the Best seal of approval.
Thank you all for joining us on this episode of Quest for the Best. Let us know what you thought. Which popcorn is in your cupboard or pantry? We would love to hear your rating!
Also, do you have any foods you would love to get the coveted seal of approval? Let us know in the comments what you want to hear next.
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Episode 130: Microwave Popcorn