Popcorn, one of the oldest known forms of
corn, was domesticated around 9,000 years ago in what is now
known as Mexico. Husks and cobs were found in Peruvian sites
that told researchers that popcorn was popular as far back
as 4700 B.C. After being domesticated it made its way across
South and Central America. During this time hundreds of
different types emerged, and although at this point popcorn
was not a staple food; however, this changed “by the 12th
century, when maize (corn) cultivation became vital to the
Inca Empire’s rise and subsequent expansion across Peru”
(“Popcorn Was Popular”). Popcorn continued to spread up to
North America where it was eventually discovered thousands
of years later.