How does popcorn work?

Popcorn is a ubiquitous snack, but there's nothing commonplace about its creation. How does a kernel of corn become a puffed white treat? Find out in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to brain Stuff from how stuff works dot com
where smart happens Hi Marshall Brain. Today's topic popcorn, the
question what the heck is going on when you turn
a hard corn kernel into a white, fluffy snack. It

(00:23):
turns out that lots of grains will puff like that
if you help them. People eat puffed rice, puffed wheat,
and puff corn for breakfast all the time. If you
soften a kernel with steam, pressurize it, and then rapidly
release the pressure, most grains will puff. Popcorn is cool
because it does it all by itself. The outer shell
of the kernel is important. It has to be sealed.

(00:46):
If you puncture a kernel with a pin, it won't pop.
Moisture is also important. If a popcorn kernel is too dry,
it won't pop either. When you heat a popcorn kernel,
the moisture inside creates so much pressure that the outer
shell burst like a balloon. The starch inside pots during
the explosion, and you have an instant snack. Be sure

(01:08):
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