The Marion Popcorn Festival

In 1981, a small group of local business leaders put Marion, Ohio, on the path to hosting the largest popcorn festival on the planet. Founded in part to honor the achievements of Marion-based Wyandot, Incorporated, once the world's largest popcorn exporter, the Marion Popcorn Festival celebrates the city's dynamic industrial past. Free and open to the public for more than three decades, the festival attracts hundreds of thousands of fans for three days of popcorn, pageantry and fun. Drawing on the memories of founders and longtime volunteers, author Michelle Rotuno-Johnson brings us the festival from seed to snack in this all-encompassing work.

Fear and greed play into life in both negative and positive ways. They are also the reason for this book. I have written about the fear and greed I faced in trying to bring my discovery to light. What follows is an account of events that resulted in the decision to write this book. When I made my surprising discovery that popcorn can remove trace contaminants from water and air, I was overwhelmed. I was discreet when speaking with my trusted colleagues, who were senior professors and administrators at my home university. We all thought it would be a good idea to arrange a meeting with the president of the school. In the fall of 1996, we saw this discovery as an opportunity for the university to develop a research program to explore new frontiers on popcorn's ability to clean water and air. Meanwhile, the college could raise funds to support research work based on my discovery. For many reasons, not least of which popcorn is perhaps the most famous American snack, my colleagues and I thought the discovery would generate interest from environmental and industrial communities, as well as from the public. The invention turned out to be a novel discovery. After years of research work and help from individuals and small companies, I had enough data to apply for United States and Canadian patents. During these years, I contacted a few popcorn-processing companies in the USA and Canada to interest them in this discovery. The outcome was one of enthusiastic reinforcement. These companies conducted tests that validated this genuine discovery. At a meeting with senior officers from one of these companies, I was asked "how is it that we who are in the popcorn business did not make this discovery, and you did"? My answer was simply, "I was inspired." As time went by I was granted two US patents based on my breakthrough, in addition to a few patent pending applications. Over the last number of years I have come to feel that the "David and Goliath" story was becoming my own. This struggle is one shared by many independent individual inventors with limited financial resources when their inventions are disclosed to big corporations. Once revealed the great danger becomes infringement, which requires large financial resources and a great amount of time to fight. The big corporations know it, and can afford the resources required to endure litigation. My family and I discussed the merits of continuing negotiations with interested companies, or making my discovery public. My joy of publishing this book are thrice. First, by placing this knowledge in the public domain I hope to preempt any malicious corporate efforts to develop this work. Second, I hope to generate interest by those who would work with me to develop and exploit this breakthrough for the good of our environment. Finally, I wish for my readers to remember the potential health and environmental benefits of popcorn even when it is enjoyed in its popular form as America's favorite snack. It is my personal hope that this book will encourage environmental and health conscious researchers to look deeper into new frontiers and wonders of the great American snack, Popcorn.

The history, legends, and cookery of America's favorite snack food Whether in movie theaters or sports arenas, at fairs or theme parks, around campfires or family hearths, Americans consume more popcorn by volume than any other snack. To the world, popcorn seems as American as baseball and apple pie. Within American food lore, popcorn holds a special place, for it was purportedly shared by Native Americans at the first Thanksgiving. In Popped Culture, Andrew F. Smith tests such legends against archaeological, agricultural, culinary, and social findings. While debunking many myths, he discovers a flavorful story of the curious kernel's introduction and ever-increasing consumption in North America. Unlike other culinary fads of the nineteenth century, popcorn has never lost favor with the American public. Smith gauges the reasons for its unflagging popularity: the invention of "wire over the fire" poppers, commercial promotion by shrewd producers, the fascination of children with the kernel's magical "pop," and affordability. To explain popcorn's twentieth-century success, he examines its fortuitous association with new technology—radio, movies, television, microwaves—and recounts the brand-name triumphs of American manufacturers and packagers. His familiarity with the history of the snack allows him to form expectations about popcorn's future in the United States and abroad. Smith concludes his account with more than 160 surprising historical recipes for popcorn cookery, including the intriguing use of the snack in custard, hash, ice cream, omelets, and soup.

Popcorn Favorites: Everything You Want to Know about Popcorn and More by John (Jack) Podojil Trafford Publishing reviewed by J.A. Garcia “May all of your days and nights resemble popping corn, Bright, cheerful and full of wonderful mouth-watering flavor.” An author of motivational books and proponent of education, Podojil combines his love of popcorn with his passion for inspiring children to learn in this volume that is both informative and entertaining. Podojil begins by providing readers with basic facts about this salty snack, briefly exploring the various types of kernels as well as the science behind what makes this particular type of corn pop. The chapters that follow provide greater detail on the history of popcorn, several mechanical innovations that forever changed the way popcorn is made, and a wealth of Native American folklore surrounding this tasty and versatile treat. Readers will also find information on surprising attractions devoted entirely to popcorn as well as fun popcorn trivia. After providing this rich foundation of popcorn knowledge, Podojil goes on to describe practical applications for the classroom by including detailed lessons and activities for a variety of subjects and age groups. Finally, this unique popcorn guide reveals various recipes for not only the familiar varieties of candied popcorn or savory flavorings, but several unexpected culinary treats as well, such as “Popcorn Soup” and “Popcorn Diner Meatloaf.” This multifaceted popcorn guide is useful for not only popcorn aficionados, but parents, educators, and home cooks alike. Intuitively laid out, this volume provides a wealth of knowledge on the history, science, economics, and culture surrounding this popular treat. And perhaps best of all, popcorns lovers will be happy to find over eighty easy-to-follow, diverse recipes that are sure to please the most discerning popcorn fan.

This book provides a description of Ohio's history, geography, economy, and culture.

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Pull up a chair and dig in! POPCORN is chock-full of tidbits about one of America's favorite snack foods. Learn what makes popcorn pop, how Native Americans liked their popcorn, and how television almost wiped out popcorn's future. Cooking tips, recipes, and resources included.

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