Davert Organic Pops
Most people intuitively associate the seductive scent of hot popcorn with a visit to the cinema. No wonder, since the puffed corn snack can be found freshly made in almost every cinema. A delicious bag of popcorn simply belongs to a successful movie night. This has not always been the case. At the beginning of the 20th century, there has been a prohibition of popcorn in movie theaters. The first cinemas have been strongly oriented towards the classic theater. This was not only because of the name ”theater“, but also because of the house rules. The latter made sure that the shown performances should not be disturbed by rustling bags or chewing spectators. Around the turn of the century, popcorn has usually just been around at circuses or on fairgrounds. Only in larger cities popcorn has also been sold on the street, too. However, anyone who went to the cinema with a bag of popcorn had to drop the bag at the entrance.
Only at the beginning of the 1930s, popcorn did find its way into the American cinemas. Due to the poor economic situation, the revenues from the ticket sales decreased, and the cinema operators had to come up with a new idea. For a fee, they allowed popcorn sellers to sell their snacks in the foyer. But after a short time, most cinemas took over the business themselves. The final breakthrough for popcorn came during the Second World War. Due to the lack of sugar and the associated rationing measures, many sweets were simply not longer available. Salty popcorn, on the other hand, did not have to be rationed and became one of the most popular snacks. In Germany, popcorn established itself as a cinema snack at the end of the 1970s. However, moviegoers in Germany preferred to eat sweetened popcorn.
Popcorn is not only one of the most popular, but also one of the oldest snacks ever. In a cave in New Mexico, archaeologists found grains of puffed rice, with an age that was estimated to over 5,000 years. Also in Peru puffed corn has been found after opening some over 1,000 years old burial caves. Some of the grains were so well preserved, that they were still able to pop. Explorers believe, that popcorn played an important role in the ancient civilizations of South and Central America. Tlaloc, the Aztec fertility god, has been illustrated with a crown of popcorn on his head. And at certain ritual dances, women wore popcorn necklaces. It served the Aztecs not only as food and jewelery, but also as an oracle. For this purpose, corn has been thrown into the fire. When the corn popped, the priests tried to predict the future from their shape and their flying direction. How the prediction worked exactly is not known; However, it has now been found out why the grains pop up.
Seeds contain water, which evaporates by heating. This creates an enormous overpressure in the grain and that pressure discharges through explosive bursting. This is called puffing or popping. In addition, the hot starch of the seed expands in size like foam, by multiple times. The seed coat of corn is so strong, that it just needs to be heated to pop. On the other hand, grains with too soft shells must be popped in a pressure vessel.
In addition to corn, there are also other plants in South and Central America whose grains can be puffed up by heat, for example amaranth and quinoa. These grains were among the staple foods of indigenous peoples too. When the Europeans conquered the ”New World“, they have banned the cultivation of these native plants. Only a few years ago, they have been rediscovered again. Today, they are considered as ”superfoods“ and are cultivated in many countries. Unlike popcorn, the grains are usually not eaten in the cinema. They are more likely to be found in crunchy cereal bars or muesli mixes. The German organic pioneer Davert does not only pop the grains of South American amaranth and quinoa, but also of domestic varieties such as spelt.
The airy-light Davert Organic Amaranth Pops refine mueslis with their wonderfully roasted aroma. The Organic Quinoa Pops, which are popped up with a special method, taste particularly good in cereal drinks and breakfast cereals. The Davert Organic Spelt Pops can be enjoyed pure with milk or vegetable drink, but also refine individual muesli mixes. Enjoy the pure taste of the fine Davert Organic Pops in fresh milk, desserts or as a topping on yoghurt and appetizers.
