Its History: The oldest ears of popcorn ever found were discovered in the Bat Cave of west central New Mexico in 1948 and 1950. These ears, ranging in size from smaller than a penny to approximately 2 inches in length, are about 4,000 years old. In 1519, Cortes got his first sight of popcorn when he invaded Mexico and came into contact with the Aztec Indians. Popcorn was an important source of food, and was also used as decoration for ceremonial headdresses, necklaces and ornaments on statues of their gods.

Kokopelli's Popcorn: We offer four gourmet popcorn varieties: Anasazi Red, Hopi Blue, Navajo White & Zuni Rainbow (medley of red, blue & yellow kernels). It's a premium popcorn that we believe can't be surpassed.

Methods of Popping: Since our popcorn isn't offered in a microwave bag, we've had quite a few people ask how to pop the corn. After doing some research we found that popcorn connoisseurs use any of the following methods:

• Air Popper
• Microwave Rice Cooker
• Microwave & Brown Bag Method
  Place 1/4 cup of unpopped kernels in a brown paper lunch bag. Fold the top over a few times. Microwave for a few minutes 1/4 your popcorn will pop with consistency like an air popper (because it's not popped in oil).
• Simple Pot & Stove Method
  1. Cover the bottom of a large pot (4-6 qt) with 1-to-2 tablespoons of oil (such as vegetable, peanut, corn, soy).
  2. Throw a kernel of popcorn in, cover the pan and turn the stovetop burner to medium heat. When that kernel has popped your oil is heated so add the rest of your popcorn (about 1/2 cup of unpopped kernels).
  3. Cover the pot loosely (you need to allow the steam to escape) and shake to cover the popcorn with oil. With the pot covered, continue to cook the popcorn over medium heat; shake the pot frequently to prevent burning. (If your oil smokes, the heat's too high).
  4. When the popping slows (3-5 seconds between pops), remove the pan from the heat and let stand (covered) until the popping stops (about 1 minute).

Old Maids: A term for those kernels that fail to pop and are often found at the bottom of the popcorn bowl - old maids can be rejuvenated. Since it is the water in kernels that causes popcorn to pop, all you need to do is re-hydrate the dried kernels. David Woodside, author of "What Makes Popcorn Pop?" suggests filling "a one-quart jar three-quarters full of your popcorn and adding one tablespoon of water. Cover the jar with an airtight lid and give it a few good shakes every few minutes until the popcorn has absorbed all the water. Store the jar in a cool place." Woodside says in two or three days you can test-pop a batch of kernels. If you still get old maids, add a few more drops of water to the jar, shake it, and let it sit for a few more days.

Season that Popcorn: Regardless of how your popcorn is popped, drizzle butter or margarine over your finished product and salt to taste. Or if you're ready for something more exciting than salt, mix together either one of the following seasoning mixtures and sprinkle over the popcorn to taste. (NOTE: These mixtures are for 8 ounces of unpopped kernels. If you are popping more than 8 ounces, multiply accordingly.)

• CHILE POWDER-OREGANO MIX: 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pure chile powder (mild or hot), 1/4 teaspoon ground oregano and 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• PARMESAN CHEESE MIX: 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Delectable Popcorn Recipes

KETTLE CORN

• 1/2 cup unpopped kernels
• 2 tablespoons oil (for popping)
• 3 tablespoons white sugar

Needless to say, this will only work with the Pot & Stove method. After following Steps 1 and 2 (adding kernels to heated oil), sprinkle all of the sugar over the kernels. Finish with Steps 3 and 4.

The following recipes are provided courtesy of The Popcorn Institute.

NUTTY 'N' NATURAL POPCORN

• 2 tablespoons sunflower seed kernels
• 2 tablespoons almonds, finely ground
• 2 tablespoons walnuts or hazelnuts, finely ground
• 2 tablespoons wheat germ
• 4-6 tablespoons melted margarine or butter
• 1 6-ounce package (1 2/3 cups) chopped dried fruits and raisins
• 2 1/2 quarts popped popcorn

Finely grind sunflower kernels and nuts in a food processor or blender. Pour melted margarine over popcorn. Sprinkle with ground nuts and wheat germ; toss to mix. Stir in dried fruits. YIELDS: 3 quarts.

POPCORN GRANOLA SNACK BARS

• 1/2 cup honey
• 2/3 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup granola cereal
• 1 cup roasted and salted peanuts
• 3 cups popped popcorn

Line an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan with foil. Spray foil lightly with cooking spray; set aside. Heat honey in a large saucepan until boiling. Stir in peanut butter until well blended. Remove pan from heat and stir in granola, peanuts and popcorn until coated. Press mixture evenly into prepared pan. Refrigerate until cool; cut into bars to serve. YIELD: 16.

WHITE CHOCOLATE POPCORN CRUNCH

• 5 cups popped popcorn
• 1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 12 ounces white chocolate baking chips, chopped white chocolate or white candy coating
• 1-to-2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

Cover a baking pan with foil or wax paper; set aside. Place popcorn, cranberries and almonds in a large bowl; set aside. Melt chocolate in a double boiler over barely simmering water, stirring until smooth OR melt according to package directions. (If chocolate is not smooth after melting, stir in 1-2 tablespoons shortening until mixture is smooth and loose enough to coat popcorn.) Pour chocolate mixture over popcorn mixture and stir to coat. Spread onto prepared pan; allow to cool completely. When chocolate is cooled and set, break into chunks for serving. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature. YIELD: About 1 pound.

Other Unique Popcorn Toppings: We realize that the above recipes might not appeal to all of you out there so we did some research on more unique toppings for popcorn. We were surprised at what we found! (If you have a favorite topping for your popcorn that isn't listed here, please let us know of it!)

• Ancho chile powder
• Balsamic vinegar
• Brown sugar
• Cayenne pepper
• Cumin
• Curry powder
• Hungarian paprika
• Lemon pepper
• Maple syrup
• Nutritional yeast
• Soy sauce
• White cheddar powder
• Butter & chocolate milk
• Butter & ground dried mushrooms
• Cayenne pepper & sugar
• Cinnamon & sugar
• Garlic & olive oil
• Lemon zest & dill
• Lime zest & chili powder
• Orange zest & black pepper
• Parmesan & olive oil
• Butter, honey & unsweetened cocoa powder
• Butter, parmesan & garlic
• Chile powder, garlic powder & cumin
• Dry mustard, thyme, black pepper
• Paprika, cumin & olive oil
• Parmesan, black pepper & olive oil
• Combination of dry herbs (such as thyme, marjoram, oregano, dill, rosemary) & olive oil

Try our Gourmet Popcorn today!
  Kokopelli's Bulk offers 1-pound bags of our gourmet kernels.