"They [Peruvian Indians] toast a certain kind of corn until it bursts. They call it pisancalla, and they use it as a confection." —Bernabe Cobo, seventeenth century naturalist
Popcorn
Popcorn has been around for a lot longer than Super Bowl Sunday, movies, or the popcorn man in the park. The oldest popcorn ever discovered (over 5,000 years old) was found in a cave in central New Mexico. Grains of viable popcorn—so well preserved that they can still be popped—have been found in ancient tombs in Peru. Today, the average American eats 70 quarts of popcorn a year.
The menfolks at China Bayles' house—her husband Mike McQuaid and teen-aged stepson Brian—put away more than their share of popcorn, especially during the long winter evenings. To cut down on the salt, China makes herbal popcorn sprinkles. For your next movie night or TV football game, put out those super bowls of popcorn with a variety of sprinkles in labeled shaker-top bottles, and let everybody choose. Each recipe uses dried and finely powdered herbs and makes about one-half cup. A great kids' project—unique gifts, too!
Mix-N-Match Popcorn Sprinkles
- Mama Mia Sprinkle: 2 tablespoons each of basil, thyme, marjoram, garlic powder. Serve with a shaker of Parmesan cheese.
- Creole Crazy Sprinkle: 2 tablespoons of paprika; 1 tablespoon each of onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, basil; 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- Mexi-Corny Sprinkle: 2 tablespoons each of chili powder (mild, medium, or hot), parsley flakes, cumin; 1 tablespoons each of onion powder and garlic powder; 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, salt
Garlic, rue, and betony worn around the neck will ward off winter ailments and protect against witches. —Traditional herb lore
To learn more about popcorn, read:
Popped Culture: A Social History of Popcorn in America, by Andrew F. Smith
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