Get popping! October is National Popcorn Poppin' Month

When the popcorn’s popping at Shenanigans Sweets & Treats in downtown Coeur d’Alene, mouths water and noses take notice even before patrons walk into the busy candy store. Especially when it’s a big batch of the shop’s alluring caramel corn.

“That’s my favorite thing, when you open the windows, because the smell spills out for the rest of the world to enjoy,” said Shenanigans employee Haley LeGault. “People just love it; it brings them into the store.”

Whether it’s a night out at the movies, a carnival, a parade or simply an evening at home curled up on the couch—popcorn is a simple treat that always seems to comfort and satisfy.

October is National Popcorn Poppin’ Month and the perfect time to celebrate the centuries-old snack that has evolved significantly over the past few decades.

Times were, a handful of kernels tossed into a little oil in a deep pan or electric popper was all you needed to enjoy the tasty treat. Add a little melted butter and few shakes of salt and, bam, the perfect snack most everybody enjoys.

And while that’s still the case, popcorn has diversified. One need look no further than Super 1 Foods in Coeur d’Alene to see popcorn isn’t as simple as it used to be.

If Coeur d’Alene has a Popcorn Central, Super 1 would be it.

Just ask Cynthia Fassler, a supermarket employee who prides herself as the biggest producer of popping corn in the store. “I’m second in charge of popping, but I make the most,” she says proudly.

And it’s not just traditional popcorn you’ll find noisily cooking at the Kathleen Avenue grocery store. Customers gobble up kettle corn, caramel apple corn, jalapeño cheddar, and even a candy cherry corn, Fassler said.

Kettle corn is also a huge hit at the Kootenai County Farmer’s Market off U.S. Highway 95 and Prairie Avenue.

Robert Sieben, co-owner of Aunt Bea’s Kettle Corn, has been filling bags of kettle corn at the popular farmer’s market for years.

Sieben estimates he pops and sells about 75 pounds of kettle corn each Saturday at the market. “And we’ve had good weeks where we sell close to 100 pounds,” he said.

A family-owned and operated business, Sieben, of Athol, says Aunt Bea’s and kettle corn’s popularity is no secret to him.

“It’s the sweet and salty taste and it’s filled with fiber so it’s a treat the keeps you satisfied,” he said. “And it’s a lot healthier than a lot of snacks.”

With the holidays approaching Sieben said Kettle corn makes a perfect gift because it can last up to a month “and you can ship it in a box as big a refrigerator and it only weighs about 10 pounds!”

Sieben said his family purchased the kettle corn business from a local woman in 2007. They still use her secret recipe that people of all ages rave about.

“It’s a real family-friendly treat,” he said. “Our customers are from two years to over 90 years old,” he said.

Aunt Bea’s is a favorite at the farmer’s market, said Saturday market manager Beth Tysdal.

“They definitely have a loyal following and are a fixture,” she said. “A lot of the other vendors comment about how smelling their kettle corn all day makes them so hungry.”

SIDEBAR

Popping history: Long before there were movies, there was popcorn

The history of popcorn runs deep throughout the Americas, where corn is a staple food. But the oldest popcorn known to date was found in New Mexico. Deep in a dry cave known as the “Bat Cave,” small heads of corn were discovered, as well as several individually popped kernels. This discovery was made in 1948. The kernels have since been carbon dated to be approximately 5,600 years old.

Native Americans throughout North America also have a rich history documenting the consumption of popcorn. In addition to the kernels found in New Mexico, a kernel approximately 1,000 years old was found in Utah in a cave that was thought to be inhabited by Pueblo Indians.

With the invention of television, attendance at movie theaters dropped and so did the consumption of popcorn. This slump was quickly reversed when Americans once again started consuming popcorn at home. The introduction of commercially available microwave popcorn in 1981 caused home consumption of popcorn to skyrocket even more.

Source: Popped Culture: A Social History of Popcorn in America [Andrew F. Smith] on Amazon.com.