I smiled as soon as I saw the title of Goose Creek’s newest holiday candle—dazzling popcorn! I am in total agreement with Goose Creek on this one. I LOVE popcorn, and it has always been dazzling to me. I even go to movies that I am not extremely enthusiastic about, just to get this dazzling popcorn.
Have you ever wondered when popcorn originated or when people actually started popping and eating it? Apparently, popcorn has been enjoyed for thousands of years. In 1948, Herbert Dick and Earle Smith discovered several “popped” kernels in a cave in New Mexico. Their finding marked the oldest known popcorn ever discovered intact. Urns found in Mexico, dating back to 300 A.D. show pictures of a maize god wearing a popcorn wreath around his head. There is also evidence that the Aztec Indians ate popcorn and used it to embellish their headdresses and ceremonial costumes.
Early American Indians such as the Pueblo and the Iroquois also enjoyed popcorn and passed down their recipes to the colonists who were arriving in America. The colonists apparently fell in love with the Indian’s food. They ate it as a snack, and they began to incorporate popcorn as a breakfast food as well. They would mix it with sugar and milk and eat it like today’s society eats cereal. The colonists also began adding molasses to the popcorn to produce a sweet treat that is similar to today’s kettle corn.
By the 1800’s popcorn had become one of America’s favorite snack foods. It was not usually made at home, but rather sold at carnivals, fairs, concession stands, and general stores. In 1885, the first commercial popcorn machine was invented. It was a mobile invention, so popcorn vendors roamed the streets selling their wares. The invention of the popcorn machine coincided with the emergence of movie theaters. The popcorn vendors would often sell their freshly popped bags of goodness outside of theaters which is how the tradition of eating popcorn at movie theaters began.
When World War II began, many foods were scarce or rationed, but popcorn remained one of the few snack foods that Americans could still afford. The only time in history that popcorn sales dropped was when the television was invented and fewer people attended the theater. This slump soon reversed with the invention of popcorn that could be made on a stove. Popcorn sales skyrocketed even more with the invention of the microwave and the introduction of microwave popcorn. It is estimated that Americans eat over 17 billion quarts of popcorn each year!
Goose Creek Candle’s Dazzling Popcorn candle mixes a base of caramel, soft coconut, and apple. They combine another rich layer of vanilla spice and gourmand notes, and they top it off with dazzling popcorn and buttery vanilla. Is your mouth watering yet? It will be, as soon as you take off the lid. Prepare to be dazzled.
Thespruceeats.com