Cigar Aficionado

Next time a movie theater spirits you off to another world, thank popcorn. Those exploded kernels of maize are the cinema staple that keeps the reels turning and ticket prices from being even higher. Because movie distributors take most of the gate, screening venues make their money on selling concessions and popcorn is often the most profitable item. Ancient Peruvians discovered 7,000 years ago that corn with a water droplet in the kernel would pop when heated. In the late 1800s, moving pictures and large-volume popping machines conspired to make the puffy treat a culinary draw in the theater. It doesn’t hurt that the stuff can fill a building with its alluring …