How was popcorn discovered? An archaeologist on its likely appeal for people in the Americas millennia ago

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Sean Rafferty, University at Albany, State University of New York

(THE CONVERSATION)

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How was popcorn discovered? – Kendra, age 11, Penn Yan, New York

You have to wonder how people originally figured out how to eat some foods that are beloved today. The cassava plant is toxic if not carefully processed through multiple steps. Yogurt is basically old milk that’s been around for a while and contaminated with bacteria. And who discovered that popcorn could be a toasty, tasty treat?

These kinds of food mysteries are pretty hard to solve. Archaeology depends on solid remains to figure out what happened in the past, especially for people who didn’t use any sort of writing. Unfortunately, most stuff people traditionally used made from wood, animal materials or cloth decays...