Wild Insides
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popcorn · how popcorn pops · popcorn science · food science · why popcorn pops · unpopped kernels
The real science
Every popcorn kernel is a tiny sealed pressure cooker. Water trapped in the starch turns to steam, the pressure climbs to about nine times normal air pressure, and the shell bursts so the soft starch blasts out as foam. This is also why some kernels never pop.
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