The Origins of Hot Butter Popcorn

Popcorn was a native plant to America and Native Americans enjoyed it for centuries before the rest of the world was introduced to it.  However, how did the idea of adding hot butter to flavor the popcorn become introduced.  Was it trial and error, was it by mistake or was it just something natural brought by the settlers who loved adding flavor to everything?

The earliest account of adding anything to popcorn was by the American Indians who would smother the corn cob with oil so the popped corn would stick to it and not go spraying out of the fire when popping it.  It soon became common to add oil because of the great improvement it made in the taste of the snack.

Settlers eagerly included oil when popping popcorn because they loved the taste of the popped corn with the added oil.

Popcorns natural flavor is a bit dull when compared to other snacks and treats, especially sweet treats.  Adding flavor is something that has been done almost since the beginning of its introduction to settlers in the United States.

Today people seem to prefer the flavor of hot butter popcorn to plain and even to other gourmet flavors that have been introduced.  Today almost everything you can imagine can be added to flavor popcorn. 

Popcorn take flavor well.  It just soaks up the hot butter which makes for a delightful treat.  It is no surprise that people seem to love it.

However, with the concern for healthier snacks and the worry over obesity in the United States, it is no surprise that hot butter popcorn has taken a hit.  Butter is not exactly a diet food or something that is considered too healthy.  People have been urged to avoid butter for more healthy flavorings, such as garlic or cayenne. 

Hot butter popcorn is still a favorite, despite the health issues.  The actual amount of butter added to popcorn is actually relatively small, so it really does not pose that huge of a health risk.  For a person eating popcorn everyday, though, mixing it up and having butter as a topping only a couple times per week is the best bet for healthy snacking.

Hot butter popcorn is simply an invention of taste.  People realized that by adding some flavor to the popcorn it really brought out the goodness of this snack.  People probably will always choose butter as their number one favorite popcorn topping.