When combined, 爆米花 (bàomǐhuā) literally translates to “exploding grain flower” or “bursting rice blossom.” This is a wonderfully descriptive name, as the corn kernel (the `米`) 'explodes' (`爆`) into a shape that resembles a white flower (`花`).
While movie-theater popcorn is a globalized concept, China has a unique cultural touchstone associated with 爆米花 that differs from the Western experience. Before the widespread adoption of modern cinemas and microwave popcorn, 爆米花 was a classic street food made in a dramatic fashion. Vendors would use a hand-cranked, cast-iron pressure vessel that looked like a small black cannon. They would heat corn kernels inside over a fire, and when the pressure was right, they would point the “cannon” into a large mesh bag and release the latch. The result was a massive BANG! and a bag full of fresh popcorn. This “cannon popcorn” (老式爆米花, lǎoshì bàomǐhuā) is a powerful nostalgic memory for generations of Chinese people. The sound was a neighborhood event, bringing children running. This traditional version was typically plain or only lightly sweetened with saccharin, a far cry from the butter-and-caramel-drenched popcorn of modern Chinese cinemas. Therefore, while an American might associate “popcorn” primarily with movies and butter, a Chinese person might have a dual association: the modern cinema snack and the loud, exciting, and simpler street food of their childhood.
Today, 爆米花 is used in contexts very similar to English.