Popcorn and Punjab: The Unexpected Story of a Global Snack in a Local Festival

Food is more than sustenance—it is culture, identity, and memory. The sociology of food helps us understand how what we eat connects us to larger social structures, from class and caste to tradition and modernity. A seemingly simple snack like popcorn, often associated with movie theatres or fairgrounds, carries a rich history that crosses continents and centuries.

America to India

Originally cultivated thousands of years ago by Indigenous peoples in the Americas, maize—particularly the variant used for popcorn—held ritualistic and communal significance. As it travelled through colonial trade and industrialisation, popcorn transformed from a sacred grain into a global convenience snack, now found everywhere from cinemas to street corners. Yet its journey didn’t end there.

Over time, popcorn quietly made its way into Indian homes and festivals, including those in the fertile heartlands of Punjab, where a very different kind of food story unfolds—one deeply rooted in the rhythms of the land. Baisakhi, the vibrant harvest festival celebrated in April, marks not just the beginning of a new solar year but also the moment when farmers reap the rewards of their hard work. Historically, it is a day charged with both agrarian significance and political memory—it was on Baisakhi in 1699 that Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa Panth, forever shaping Sikh identity. Today, the festival brings together the spiritual, the celebratory, and the culinary. Fields brim with golden wheat, dhol beats echo through villages, and kitchens come alive with the preparation of festive dishes like kadhi chawal, sarson da saag, and makki di roti—and in some homes and melas, even popcorn makes an appearance, bridging the traditional with the contemporary in surprising yet meaningful ways.

A Global Grain: The Origins of Popcorn

The tale of popcorn’s arrival in Punjab is one shaped by centuries of global exchange and cultural fusion. First cultivated nearly 9,000 years ago in what is now Mexico, maize—the parent crop of popcorn—spread far and wide through ancient trade routes and later through colonial expansion. By the time it gained popularity in North America, popcorn was already a beloved street snack known for its affordability and ease of preparation. As international trade intensified, maize eventually reached the Indian subcontinent, where it was embraced by local farmers. Punjab, with its nutrient-rich soil and strong agricultural tradition, proved to be particularly suited for maize cultivation, setting the stage for popcorn’s quiet but meaningful entry into local life.

In Punjab, one of the most significant seasonal festivals is Lohri, celebrated annually on 13 January to mark the end of winter and welcome the longer days that follow. Deeply connected to the harvest season—especially the sugarcane crop—Lohri brings communities together around crackling bonfires. It’s a time for folk music, dance, and feasting on traditional treats such as jaggery, gachak, and peanuts. For many, it evokes a sense of warmth and familiarity. “We’ve been popping corn at home every April since I was a child,” shares a woman from a village near Ludhiana. Popcorn, which may have initially appeared as a novelty, gradually found its place in these festivities. Today, tossing popcorn into the fire is a cherished ritual, symbolising offerings to the divine in hopes of good fortune. Its inclusion reflects how even the most unlikely foods can become part of the cultural tradition when adopted with meaning and intention.

During the celebrations, families and friends gather outdoors, wrapped in woollens, basking in the glow of the bonfire and the warmth of shared stories. Popcorn, with its airy crunch and neutral flavour, pairs effortlessly with other festive bites. Its preparation—simple yet satisfying—adds to the charm of communal gatherings. Sharing popcorn around the fire has become more than just a snack; it’s a symbol of togetherness, joy, and shared heritage. This blending of the traditional with the contemporary highlights how living cultures continue to evolve, absorbing new elements while preserving their core spirit.

The integration of popcorn into Lohri festivities offers a glimpse into the ever-shifting landscape of food and identity. It illustrates how culinary traditions, though rooted in specific places and histories, are never static. Through travel, trade, and storytelling, foods like popcorn transcend borders and acquire new meanings. In Punjab, a snack once foreign has been fully localised, becoming a part of the emotional and symbolic vocabulary of celebration. As we munch on popcorn during Lohri, we’re not only participating in a regional custom but also embracing a global journey—one that continues to unfold in the most unexpected of ways.

Baisakhi & the Popcorn Twist: Food, Culture, and Celebration

Today, popcorn’s role in Punjabi festivals extends well beyond its origins, gradually becoming a familiar presence not only during Lohri but also in Baisakhi celebrations across both rural and urban landscapes. While Baisakhi is historically rooted in the harvest of wheat and the formation of the Khalsa Panth, its contemporary expression is as much about togetherness, cultural pride, and joyous feasting as it is about tradition. In recent years, popcorn has found its way into Baisakhi melas and family gatherings, often nestled between trays of traditional sweets and snacks. Its lightness, ease of preparation, and appeal across generations have made it a go-to addition to festive spreads. For many, it evokes a sense of warmth and familiarity. A young student in Amritsar fondly recalls, “I associate the smell of popcorn with Baisakhi melas. It’s not a celebration unless I’m walking around with a paper cone on it, watching bhangra performances.”  These voices from the ground reveal how a simple snack has seamlessly woven itself into the social fabric of Punjabi celebrations. Popcorn no longer feels foreign—it feels festive. It sits comfortably alongside age-old customs, not as an outsider but as a welcome guest who brings a new kind of joy to the table. Through shared laughter, flickering bonfires, and paper cones of popped corn, we witness how tradition is not static but ever-evolving, capable of embracing the unexpected without losing its soul.

Bonfires & Popped Corn: Rethinking Traditions in Punjab

What makes popcorn’s presence in Punjabi festivals so compelling is not just its taste or convenience but the way it captures the spirit of evolving traditions. In many ways, food acts as a vessel of memory—it holds the flavour of past celebrations, the scent of familiar kitchens, and the sound of shared laughter.  “My grandchildren don’t care much for gachak, but they love popcorn. So now we always make extra.” Popcorn, though once an outsider to Punjab’s culinary landscape, has gradually become part of these emotional tapestries. Its soft crackle mirrors the energy of the festivals, its golden puffiness echoing the ripeness of harvest fields. For children, it’s often the first thing they reach for; for elders, it becomes a symbol of how things change yet stay connected. In homes across Punjab, you’ll now find popcorn being prepared alongside kadhi chawal and laddoos, not to replace them but to join them, just as new generations carry forward old traditions while adding their own twists. It is in these small, everyday choices—what we cook, what we offer, what we share—that cultural identity breathes and renews itself. Popcorn, light as it is, carries surprising weight in this story.