Popcorn Saves the Movies

If you’ve ever sat in a darkened movie theater chances are you’ve also balanced a bag of popcorn on your lap while indulging in fistfulls of the salty snack people love so much. Ornate movie palaces with crystal chandeliers, marble-lined hallways, billiards rooms, and even drop-off daycare centers drew wealthier customers and were initially intolerant of messy and disruptive snacks. In fact, this—the original clandestine movie snack—didn’t make it out into the open until once movies became “talkies” with the film’s sound covering the noises of people eating. But, let’s roll time back even further and learn about maize being cultivated 8,000 years ago and how this evolved into such a tasty treat.