1/4     What makes corns pop to turn them into popcorns? Is it because
        they have something that's flamable inside and less flamable
        outside? How about rice, sunflower seeds, ants, and other
        things, can they be popped as well? I'm interesting in
        inventing, producing, and marketing a new genre of food and
        I'm wondering what is possible, ok thx          -amateur chef
        \_ Popcorn pops because of the water inside the kernel. Once you
           heat it to above boiling the water turns into gas, causing
           a small explosion and the resultant piece of popcorn. - williamc
        \_ A more detailed explanation is that popping corn (a special variety)
           has been bred to have a hard outer seed coat and a large 'horny'
           endosperm high in protein, and a small starchy endosperm at the
           center.  What heated, the water in the center turns to steam and
           dissolves the protein that makes up the bulk of the kernel.  When
           pressure gets too high, the seed coat pops, and the steam-hydrated
           proteins of the horny endosperm expand and cool rapidly.  Once it
           cools and loses steam, the protein sets into a dry foam.  Through
           a lot of selective breeding or gene splicing, it might be possible
           to create other seed varieties that pop, but I can't see how it
           could recoup the R&D.  In any case, it's not something you can do by
           just cooking.
           \_ (To myself) I got that slightly backwards.  The horny endosperm
              holds most of the water and the puffy texture is expanded starch,
              not a protein foam.
           \_ I don't think that popcorn was specially "bred" to be popcorn.
              Native Americans have been popping corn since 5000 years ago.
              Perhaps it was a lucky discovery, perhaps it was bred, nobody
              knows.
              \_ Corn has been bred a very long ways from its natural form.
                 Some bred variety along the way could pop.  It was later
                 specialized into a corn that is good for popping, but lousy
                 for masa harina.
                 The indians probably grew something similar to modern
                 'dent corn', which makes up like 98% of the U.S. crop, and is
                 not a very good popper.
              \_ Almost all corn has been bred by humans.