Corn kernels (for popcorn)

Description

The scientific name of popcorn, when it is not yet popcorn, is Zea mays: it is common corn. Not all cultivars (the individual varieties of a botanical species) of corn are capable of opening and bursting, if duly solicited: only the everta variant can be used to make popcorn. Other cereals can actually pop when exposed to high temperatures, but they don’t make such a tasty snack. These include some varieties of rice, millet, sorghum and quinoa. The bursting of corn kernels is due to the sudden expansion of the starch inside them, in contact with heat: when it bursts – always downwards, because the heat is greater on the lower part of the grain – the typical reaction is produced which causes it to explode the corn grain upwards. Homemade popcorn are cooked in a pan or pot. The pan is a convenient and quick tool for preparing popcorn without oil. Place a couple of handfuls of corn kernels in the pan, increase the quantities as needed, and place on the heat over medium heat. Cover with a lid, preferably a transparent one, and as soon as the corn begins to crackle, keep the lid slightly raised, perhaps inserting a skewer to the side: never lift the lid completely. When quite a few have popped, shake the pan a bit, so as to loosen the grains that have remained at the bottom. As soon as they are ready, remove them immediately from the heat and enjoy them plain or season them with salt or as you like. If you don’t have a non-stick pan you can use a pot or pan: in this case you will need to use a few tablespoons of oil. Let it heat in a pan over medium-high heat, then try adding a few grains of corn and cover with the lid. Wait for them to crackle and then add the others: never lift the lid while they are crackling. Place the pan back on the heat and let them crackle over a medium heat, shaking the pan from time to time, without ever lifting the lid. As soon as the poppings are completely finished, remove them from the heat, place them in a bowl and enjoy them.