Breakfast Cereal Used To Be Made By Shooting It Out Of A Gun

Breakfast cereal has always been a confusing food.  Many people aren't aware of how it's made.  But did you know, once upon a time, those flakes you spoon up with your milk each morning were made by shooting them out of a gun?

Named the puffing cannon, patented by the Kellogg brothers in the turn of the century, this machine revolutionised food technology.  It allowed starchy foods to be heated and presurized to a point where they would explode into larger, puffier structures.  Essentially, this was the popcorn-making technique extended to the full range of starches: corn, wheat, rice, etc.

Now, the technology has been superseded by evolved industrial processes over the last century; but Dave Arnold of the Museum of Food and Drink in New York City has built this replica for use.