On January 19, National Popcorn Day is a crunch we all love to enjoy. The annual celebration recognizes a treat that satisfies munchies, day or night.

It can be sweet or savory, caramelized, buttered or plain, molded into a candied ball, or tossed with nuts and chocolate. It’s perfect anytime, anywhere–on the go, in the theater, or in your living room. 

In the mid1800s Charles Cretors, a candy-store owner, developed a machine for popping corn with steam. By 1900 he had horse-drawn popcorn wagons going through the streets of Chicago.

At about the same time, Louise Ruckheim added peanuts and molasses to popcorn to bring Cracker Jack to the world. Then in 1908, the national anthem of baseball was born. Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer wrote Take Me out to the Ballgame. From that point onward, popcorn, specifically Cracker Jack, became forever married to the game.

Popcorn also makes every trip to the movie theater a little bit sweeter.

The microwave oven spurred the next big advancement for popcorn. With the invention of the microwave, a whole new market opened for the snack food.

Today, Americans consume 13 billion quarts of popcorn a year, more than any other country in the world. A majority of the popcorn produced in the world is grown in the United States. Nebraska leads the corn belt in popcorn production.

Celebrate by popping your favorite popcorn and share a bowl with a friend. Or head to the movies, grab a large bucket and enjoy. In fact, customers can take any clean container of their choice and Cinemark Theatres will fill it with fresh popcorn for $5, up to the equivalent of two XL popcorn sizes or 400 ounces.

Source: nationaltoday.com; nationaldaycalendar.com