Puffed rice

Commercial popped rice was developed by American inventor Alexander P. Anderson while he was ascertaining the water content of starch granules.

The earliest mention of puffed rice in Mainland China is in Zhejiang Province, from a book by Fan Chengda written in the Song dynasty (c. 1100).

It was part of the rituals of the Spring Festival and was made in large cooking pots known as fǔ (釜) which was heated with woodfire.

In Edo Japan, the name okoshi was related to good luck, as the similar word okosu means to establish or set up.

[6] In Taiwan, puffed rice is known as Bí-phang or pōng-bí-phang (磅米芳, the word "pōng" is the sound of the explosion when the pressure furnace is opened) in Taiwanese and Mi-hsiang (米香) in Mandarin.

It is mixed with caramelized palm sugar, coconut milk, peanuts, sesame seeds, and khao mao (pounded green rice).

[11] In Iban cuisine, parched glutinous rice, which is known as rendai, is toasted in a hot wok or pan without adding oil in it until it "pops" or puffs much like how popcorn is made.

It is traditionally served for the Miring ceremony, which is a ritual to appease the petara (gods) and spirits for prosperity, health and protection.

In India, puffed rice is known as many regional names, which include murmura in Hindi (मुरमुरा), pura in Punjabi (ਪੁੜਾ), mamra in Gujrati (મમરા), kurmura in Marathi (कुरमुरा), charmbura in Konkani (चर्मबुरा), muri in Bangla (মুড়ি), mudhi in Odia (ମୁଢ଼ି), muri in Assamese (মুৰি), pori in Tamizh (போரி), pori in Malayalam (പൊരി), mandakki in Kannada (ಮಂಡಕ್ಕಿ), kurlari in Tulu (ಕುರ್ಲರಿ), borugulu in Telugu (బొరుగులు).

Pilgrims of Sabarimala often pack puffed rice in their travel pouch along with jaggery meant to be offered to Ayyappan.

In Gujarati cuisine it is called 'mamra' and is often used to make a dry snack by shallow frying in oil with spices or made into sweet balls using jaggery and ghee.

In Telangana, as a snack typically given to children, puffed rice or borugulu is made into a ball with jaggery sugar syrup or bellam pakam.

In Karnataka, puffed rice is mixed with carrots, tomatoes, spices and coriander leaves to make churumuri, a popular evening snack.

[14][12] In Mithila and Bengal area, puffed rice is had with "kachari"-fried potato/onion chops, fried fish or with mutton curry.

Puffed rice is also mixed with jaggery and shaped into a rounded ball snack called murir moa.

In 1960s Czechoslovakia, state firm Vitana was the first to begin the production of 'expanded rice', as plain flavoured or sweetened snack.

A cereal such as Cap'n Crunch is extruded, cooked, cut, pressurized, puffed and dried in a continuous process.

His eight "guns" that puffed grains for Fair goers were dubbed "The Eighth Wonder of the World" by an advertising billboard poster.

These rice cakes were marketed as low-calorie "saucers" meant to be eaten with toppings like cottage cheese, jelly, and fruit.

Chico-San was eventually acquired by Heinz in 1984, at which time the Quaker Oats Company also developed their own rice cake marketed as a "low-carb alternative to bread".

Rice cakes are also produced by other companies including Lundberg Family Farms, Hain Celestial Group, and Whole Foods Market.

[19][20][21] These puffed rice cakes are typically sold plain or blandly-seasoned, with the most popular flavor being lightly salted.