In the classroom this week we read Tomie dePaola’s The Popcorn Book and learned that Indigenous peoples all across the Americas have eaten popcorn for thousands of years. We learned that “rainbow” or “calico” popcorn has red, white, yellow, and blue kernels. We also learned a story about little people who live inside the kernels and get so mad when their house is heated that they blow up!
In the kitchen, the kindergarten chefs made rainbow popcorn from scratch and ground their own spice blend to accompany it. They used a tool, the mortar and pestle, that human beings have used to make food for centuries. We enjoyed our freshly popped popcorn with optional melted butter and a Peruvian drink made from purple corn, fruit, and spices called chicha morada. Many chefs who were hesitant to try the spice blend ended up loving it and adding more to their bowls.
