response: Through the 19th century, they would pop it on the stovetop by hand.
original_response: I agree with you.  Experts have found that the popping of the kernels happened by people as far back as the early 19th Century! So it not just a modern day food.
history: do you like popcorn? I can't eat popcorn, being a bot, but were you aware that there are strains of corn specifically cultivated for popcorn? Yep. It's pretty great hearing the popping sound. How did people pop popcorn before the microwave?
knowledge: Popping of the kernels was achieved by hand on the stovetop through the 19th century.