What is popcorn?

Popcorn is a whole grain maize product. There exist six different types of corn. Of these six varieties, sweet, dent, flint, pod, flour and popcorn, popcorn is the only corn that pops. The kernels range in colour from off-white to light gold, to red, black and many colours in between.

What makes it pop?

Popcorn's ability to pop lies in the fact that the kernels contain a small amount of water stored in a circle of soft starch inside the hard outer casing. When heated, the water expands, creating pressure within, until eventually the casing gives way, and the kernels explode and pop, allowing the water to escape as steam, the soft starch to pop out and the kernel to turn inside out.

Mushroom and Butterfly

Once popped, popcorn has two basic shapes: Mushroom and Butterfly, which share the market between them. Both are perfect "poppers"; both comply with the strictest quality requirements; each has its own proponents. Mushroom kernels pop into the round, regular ballshape of button mushrooms, perfect for coating, while the Butterfly, as its name suggests, takes on a freer, less compact form

Moisture level

To insure maximum popability, popcorn kernels should have a 14,5 % (+/- 1 %) moisture content. Proper moisture level is the reason it is important to store popcorn properly. During storage, the grain's ideal moisture content is maintained by our computer- controlled ventilation system.

Kernel count

The kernel size is measured in kernels per 10 grams (K/10 g). The higher the kernel count the smaller the kernels. To guarantee optimum popping results, our sorting equipment selects grain according to rigorous specifications of consistent size. The volume after popping is not directly influenced by the kernels' size.

Expansion

The pop expansion test is performed with a Cretors Metric Weight Volumetric Tester which is recognized by the popcorn industry. MWVT is the measurement in cubic centimetres of popped corn per gram of unpopped corn (cc/g). A reading of 40 on the MWVT means that 1 gram of this popcorn has an expansion after popping of 40 cubic centimetres.