Purchase
A Social History of Popcorn in America
Smithsonian
January 2001
On Sale: January 1, 2001
ISBN: 1422350428
EAN: 9781560989219
Paperback (reprint)
Add to Wish List
Non-Fiction
The history, legends, and cookery of America's favorite
snack food Whether in movie theaters or sports arenas, at fairs or
theme parks, around campfires or family hearths, Americans
consume more popcorn by volume than any other snack. To the
world, popcorn seems as American as baseball and apple pie.
Within American food lore, popcorn holds a special place,
for it was purportedly shared by Native Americans at the
first Thanksgiving. In Popped Culture, Andrew F.
Smith tests such legends against archaeological,
agricultural, culinary, and social findings. While debunking
many myths, he discovers a flavorful story of the curious
kernel's introduction and ever-increasing consumption in
North America. Unlike other culinary fads of the nineteenth century,
popcorn has never lost favor with the American public. Smith
gauges the reasons for its unflagging popularity: the
invention of "wire over the fire" poppers, commercial
promotion by shrewd producers, the fascination of children
with the kernel's magical "pop," and affordability. To
explain popcorn's twentieth-century success, he examines its
fortuitous association with new technology—radio, movies,
television, microwaves—and recounts the brand-name triumphs
of American manufacturers and packagers. His familiarity
with the history of the snack allows him to form
expectations about popcorn's future in the United States and
abroad. Smith concludes his account with more than 160 surprising
historical recipes for popcorn cookery, including the
intriguing use of the snack in custard, hash, ice cream,
omelets, and soup.
Comments
No comments posted.
Registered users may leave comments.
Log in or register now!
| 
© 2003-2025 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy