Jan. 19, 2026
National Popcorn Day
National Popcorn Day: the science, history, and movie magic of popcorn.
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Portions of today's trivia podcast were made with the help of AI.
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Calorogus shark Media. Hi, I'm Mark Allison, and today's theme
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is National Popcorn Day. The science, history and movie magic
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of popcorn Question one. In the United States, National Popcorn
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Day is widely celebrated each January to honor the crunchy
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snack that pairs perfectly with movie night on What date
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does it fall? Question two? When a popcorn kernel is heated,
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what builds up inside the tough outer hull until it bursts,
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transforming the gelatinized starch into the fluffy foam we eat?
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Question three. Popcorn lovers and food scientists classify popped kernels
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by two common shapes. What are the names of the
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irregular winged pieces and the round, compact ones popular for
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caramel corn? Question four. Archaeologists have found ancient popcorn kernels
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preserved in dry caves of the American Southwest, in which
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US state is bat Cave, where some of the oldest
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known popcorn, dating to around three thousand, six hundred BCE,
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was discovered. Question five. Popcorn became inseparable from the moviegoing
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experience in America during tough economic times, which era cemented
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the snack's place in theaters because it was cheap for
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audiences and profitable for exhibitors. We'll be right back with
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these answers after this break. Welcome back. Question one, on
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what date is National Popcorn Day in the US? Answer
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January nineteenth. National Popcorn Day is commonly obs deserved on
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January nineteenth in the US, with popcorn makers, museums, and
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theaters marking the day. It's a midwinter celebration of a
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uniquely American snack with deep roots and big screen fame.
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Question two. What pressure inside a kernel makes popcorn pop answer?
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Steam water vapor. Popcorn kernels contain about fourteen percent water.
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When heated to roughly one hundred and eighty degrees celsius
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three hundred and fifty six degrees fahrenheit, that water becomes
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steam and pressure skyrockets until the hull pericarp ruptures. The
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softened starch expands and sets into the airy flake. Question three,
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Name the two common popcorn shapes answer, butterfly and mushroom.
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Butterfly flakes have delicate wings that give lots of surface
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area and a tender bite, while mushroom flakes are sturdier
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and rounder, making them ideal for coatings like caramel or
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kettle corn. Question four Batcave's ancient popcorn was found in
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which state? Answer? New Mexico. Finds from Batcave, New Mexico
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show indigenous peoples were popping or parching corn thousands of
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years before modern theaters. The arid environment helped preserve the
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kernels for millennia. Question five, Which era tied popcorn to
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movie theaters? Answer? The Great Depression. In the nineteen thirties,
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a nickel bought a bag of popcorn, drawing cash strapped patrons.
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Theater owners embraced in house concessions, and popcorn sales helped
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many cinemas survive. And the pairing stuck that concludes today's
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five daily trivia questions. I'm Mark Ellison, and today's questions
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were crafted with the help of AI technology. See you tomorrow.
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