Anne-Charlotte PasseraPopcorn is the snack that my family and I can’t do without whether we are at the Movies or at home chilling with Netflix. You know what I mean right?
It’s impossible to escape the crispy buttery and salty smell of Popcorn when you walk into a movie theater.
Personally, that’s what makes my experience at the Movies so fun. I can’t dissociate the two from each other.
Watching a movie without eating popcorn, at least at the theater, is like going to a bar and drinking water. I’s pretty boring.
Eating popcorn is more of a North American thing and that’s why I’ve developed a craving for it. In France, they do serve popcorn at the Cinéma, but it’s usually pretty dried and I like mine extra buttery and salty.
A Brief History of Popcorn
It is believed that popcorn has been around since 4700 B.C. Popcorn kernels were thrown onto hot coals of a fire and then eaten once popped.
During the mid-1800s, popcorn became a popular treat that was sold at the circus and fairs across the United States.
In 1885, the first steam-powered popcorn machine was invented by Charles Cretor. It hit the streets in a whirlwind allowing popcorn to be mass produced without the need of a kitchen nearby.
When the first movie theater opened at the end of the 19th Century, it was an extension of the Theater.
The Cinéma was seen as an art form for well-educated and wealthy people. Just like at the Theater, eating was not allowed at the Cinéma. Back then, the movies were held in actual theaters and the stage was just replaced by a silver screen. It’s too bad that the original movie theaters don’t exist anymore, don’t you think?
Only literate, educated people could enjoy the movies as they were silent at the time. You needed to be able to read the text on the screen to understand it.
Have you ever seen a silent film?
I used to watch some Charlie Chaplin with my mom when I was younger.
A few years back, The Artist came out and I took my boys to see it at our local movie theater, Cinéma Beaubien.
Of all the movies, this is the one Blondie Bear decided to fall asleep to while he had a cold. He was snoring with a bubble shaking just outside his right nostril. It was embarrassing as you can imagine since the only sound one could hear in the movie theater during a silent film was my son’s snoring!
Let the Popcorn in!
By 1927, the movies were with sound, making it accessible to the masses but not to their favorite snack: Popcorn.
So, street vendors started selling popcorn outside the Movie Theaters to moviegoers who would have to sneak in their favourite snack. Yes, Popcorn was the original clandestine movie snack. When caught, moviegoers had to check their popcorn with their coat.
Seeing the dollar signs outside their doors, Cinéma owners decided to hop on the Popcorn wagon and started selling it themselves. After all, it was cheap to produce on a large scale.
The tempting smell of salt and butter drew the people into Movie Theaters across the country. By 1930, attendance to the Movie Theaters reached 90 million per week in the United States.
Yes, popcorn allowed Movie Theaters to stay open during the Depression. It was a luxury that most people were still able to afford.
Nowadays, it’s hard to imagine attending the latest Steven Seagal blockbuster hit without a bucket of Popcorn, with extra butter please. Ok, not Steven Seagal, but you know what I mean.
Family Snack – Popcorn time
However, between the 2020 Pandemic and the lack of great Movies, my family and I barely make it to the Movie Theaters these days.
Instead, we watch movies at home on Netflix or Amazon Prime. We’ve made it our Sunday night ritual. Usually, it starts with an early spaghetti dinner, followed by Popcorn and a movie. It’s a nice way to end a weekend and to have leftovers for our Lunchbox the next day.
When we went to Rabat, in Morocco, we brought back a bowl as a souvenir. Its sole purpose in our home is to put the popcorn in.
Nowadays, it seems that movie night is any day of the week and our two fur friends, Nouki and Price, think our home is like heaven on earth.
Popcorn Snack for Dogs
I’ve had plenty of dogs before Nouki and Price. However, I wasn’t brought up in a Popcorn culture.
While attending University in the U.S., I went to the movies a lot on my own. Eating popcorn made it feel less lonely and like I was on a date with myself.
But popcorn didn’t make it into my household until maybe 4 years ago, when we got a microwave. Hard to believe but true. I didn’t own a microwave for almost 10 years!
So, it wasn’t until Nouki came into our lives that I discovered that dogs liked popcorn.
As soon as I undo the bag and place it into the microwave, at the first POP, you can be sure that Nouki is there standing guard.
Once the popcorn is in our Moroccan bowl, it is hard to resist those 2 pair of puppy-dog eyes. Yes, even Price enjoys popcorn.
Is Popcorn good for dogs?
Popcorn isn’t bad for dogs. At it’s core, popcorn can be a pretty healthy snack as it contains plenty of fiber which is good for their digestive system. Protein, iron and Vitamin B can also be found in Popcorn. So, when a dog eats PLAIN air-popped popcorn, it’s nutritional!
However, if popcorn is not properly cooked, it can damage your dog’s teeth and gums, not to mention become a choking hazard!
Feeding your dog popcorn in excess with salt and butter is unhealthy.
Health problems that can arise fall along the lines of digestive and dehydration issues. More serious problems can be kidney damage and long-term obesity.
Now, if you occasionally treat your dog to regular popcorn, it’s not the end of the world either. Just keep the treats down to about 10% or less of your dog’s daily caloric intake. I have no clue what my dog’s caloric intake is either if that’s what you are thinking.
Alternative ways for dogs to eat Popcorn
Since Popcorn has become an ‘unhealthy’ habit in our household, I looked into Popcorn snacks I could make for my dogs. Better for them, more for us.
The following are two recipes you can try out on your dogs. They are super easy to make and don’t take much time. The common ingredient is of course air-popped PLAIN popcorn. Make sure though to REMOVE ALL unpopped kernels.
Also, you can store them for a few days in the fridge. Don’t give it to them all at once!
Cheesy Bacon Popcorn
Spread popped popcorn on a lined baking sheet and cover all the popcorn with reduced-fat grated cheddar and bacon bits. I didn’t do it properly when I tried…
Put it in the oven at 350F until the cheese melts. Let it cool and then serve.
Peanut Butter Popcorn
Mix ½ cup of popcorn with 1 cup of low-fat and low-sugar peanut butter and 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Make sure that the peanut butter doesn’t contain Xylitol.
Form small balls, put them on wax paper and leave them to set until it hardens a bit.
Now that you know how to make popcorn snacks, bring joy to your dogs and share movie night with them.
Popcorn Snack for Kids
It wasn’t until Blondie Bear was well over 6 years old that I started sharing my popcorn at the Movies with him.
I started bringing a small container with me to pour the popcorn into. It was less messy that way and I could have control on his intake.
Pediatricians suggest that children shouldn’t eat popcorn until they are at least 4 years old.
Children shouldn’t eat popcorn until their molars are out, and have developed the ability to chew and swallow food properly. Just like for dogs, eating popcorn can be a choking hazard for kids. Actually, even raw veggies can cause harm if not chewed properly. Besides, waiting to give popcorn to your child is not the end of the world.
Popcorn is not exactly nutrient-rich, especially at the Movies. A child can live a healthy and happy life without Popcorn for the first few years. I decided to wait, not because of the chewing and choking hazard but because Popcorn is greasy, and I didn’t see the point of giving some to Blondie Bear. It was always my “policy” not to give food to my kids between meals and I didn’t stray from it for the benefit of popcorn. Read my article on Baby Meals for more on that ‘policy’.
Therefore, instead of popcorn and if you want your child to still eat something at the Movies, prepare fresh fruits that are thinly sliced such as bananas or pears for example.
Popcorn Snack in Nature
Have you ever had Popcorn while camping?
In most grocery stores you can find popcorn that comes in a pan.
Eating Popcorn by a camp fire while admiring a starry night is really pleasant. Heck, getting the popcorn to POP takes less time for the water to boil.
Actually, it saved us once from a bind when we were out camping in the backcountry. I’m talking about dry toilets and no running water.
We had barely gotten the fire started and put the tent up when it started to rain. Well, guess what? The popcorn was ready in the nick of time. We ate it directly from the pan, inside the tent while it poured over us. I don’t know why we had brought the popcorn pan with us, but I’m sure glad we did.
Popcorn on the grill
It’s possible to make popcorn while camping all on your own and for that you need the fire to die down.
Place a handful of popcorn kernels in the middle of approximately 20 inches of tin foil along with a teaspoon of vegetable oil. Fold the foil in half and seal the sides by twisting them.
Use a long stick (shouldn’t be hard to find) and attach the foil package to it. Place the package over the “embers”.
Remove the package as soon as the last kernel has popped.
You’ll notice that campfire popcorn has a distinct smoky flavour. Leave it as is or add some butter/oil, salt and whatever else your little heart desires or have with you.
Popcorn adventure
If you are feeling a little bit more adventurous, you can take your popcorn snack experience to the next level. Bring your portable camp stove on your next hike and have a Popcorn break.
I have yet to try it myself, but I’m sure my family wouldn’t mind enjoying a popcorn snack while exploring the outdoors.
January 19th is National Popcorn Day in the USA.
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