Food that starts with P

Poaching is a method of cooking food, most commonly eggs, by immersion in water that is almost boiling.

Popping corn is special breed of corn that is designed to pop. Popcorn is what you get when you heat popping corn and the kernels explode and turn inside-out. Popping corn pops because the corn kernels have a hard shell and are completely sealed. When they are heated, the water inside the kernel turns to steam but the steam can't get out. As you continue to heat them, the pressure of the steam continues to build up until the shell can't hold it anymore and the kernel explodes with a loud pop. As the steam is all through the starch inside of the kernel, the explosion makes the popped corn much larger than the unpopped kernel, and as it cools down so fast after the explosion the texture is that of a crispy puff.

Porridge is a meal made from grain cooked in milk or water and served hot. It is usually made from oats, but can be made from any grain. People eat porridge for breakfast. Sometimes porridge is called oatmeal.

Potatoes are tubers - they grow underground but are not the central root of the plant like a carrot or turnip. One potato plant can make many potatoes. Potatoes originally came from Peru but are now grown world wide, and are the fourth biggest crop after rice, wheat, and maize. Potatoes are best known in the form of french fries (chips) or crisps. Potato can be eaten in a huge variety of ways. It can be an ingredient in soups and stews, mashed and eaten with butter, baked, fried, boiled and in a huge variety of other dishes.

Pretzels are a baked snack dating back to Medieval European times. Today, pretzels come in many shapes and sizes, from small hard ones to big soft ones. Most pretzels are glazed to make them shiny and sprinkled with salt. Pretzels are said to be in the shape of arms praying, and are popular at Easter time.