Best American Pop Corn Holds Year-End Contest

Gaslamp Popcorn celebrates the end of a year with a bang in a good old-fashioned American way of cheering everyone up – a contest to give away money.  Gaslamp Popcorn is looking to give one lucky winner a $1,000 and a year’s worth of popcorn

This is in addition to sharing new holiday flavors of their gourmet popcorn balls.

Please see their website for details.

The Gaslamp District of San Diego was named in the 1860’s as a reference to the gas lamps that were common in San Diego in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. And since popcorn was a common snack being sold in small handmade batches throughout the area, we thought it fitting to keep the gourmet popcorn heritage alive. So in 1998, Gaslamp Popcorn was born. Every kernel is popped by the popcorn experts, all handmade in small batches, using only pure cane sugar, canola oil, and popcorn … with just a pinch of sea salt.  It has evolved with the times, distributed widely, non-GMO and available in a variety of flavors.

And here is the story of that All-American snack that actually began in Peru. It is on the time line of a group started in 2013 dedicated to “popping it right” and adding daring recipes to the snack, THE POPCORNIST.

4700 B.C. (ISH): THE BIG POP
It all began with a curious Peruvian tribesman and a single piece of corn. The oldest known popcorn was found in Peru and dates from as early as 4700 B.C.  No one knows exactly when or how it was discovered.

1492: CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS MAKES AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY
Despite being arguably more famous for his role in colonising the Americas, Christopher Columbus was also the first person to bring popcorn to Europe.

Apparently the Native Americans who greeted Columbus loved nothing more than munching on the fluffy white snack. And the famous explorer? Well, it appears he couldn’t agree more.

THE 1800S: “WAITER, THERE’S A KERNEL IN MY SOUP!”
In 19th Century America, it seemed that no meal couldn’t be improved with the addition of popcorn. From nutritious breakfast cereals and hearty porridges to cakes and puddings, peckish Americans simply couldn’t get enough of the stuff. They even added it to salads, main dishes and soups.

1885: A WORLD FIRST IS UNVEILED IN CHICAGO
In 1885 at Chicago’s Columbian Exposition, inventor Charles Cretors dazzled hungry bystanders with the first ever commercial popcorn machine. Cretors’ decadent take on popcorn involved popping corn in a mixture of one-third clarified butter, two-thirds lard and salt. Needless to say, our machines are a lot healthier!

1942-1945: THE KERNELS OF WWII
During the Second World War, sugar rations diminished the production of sweets and snacks in America. Resourceful Americans compensated by eating three times as much popcorn. Naturally.

THE 20TH CENTURY: POPCORN MOVIES
Whether we were inadvertently throwing it over our heads during Jaws or sobbing into our buckets during Terms of Endearment, the 20th Century was the era when popcorn became synonymous with cinema.

And while we believe it also makes a wonderfully unusual hors d’oeuvre for a party or a unique side dish at supper, we can’t deny that there’s nothing quite like settling in to watch a great film with a big bowl of freshly popped corn.

2013: THE POPCORNIST IS BORN
In 2013, our motley team of passionate popcorn enthusiasts founded a little website called The Popcornist aimed at inspiring people to make perfect popcorn at home with traditional popcorn makers and deliciously daringly recipes.