Ian’s first summer visit to Iowa in 2011 was memorable. The whole crew was there, and among other shenanigans Dad made puffed wheat using the Korean Rice Pffer (KRP). The KRP is a cast-iron contraption that Daddy Don acquired while serving in the Korean War. He had seen it being used by street vendors to sell puffed rice and was so impressed that he had one shipped to Iowa. To use, raw grains are added to the hollow, spherical chamber, then it is tightly sealed, then rotated as it is pressurized with a heat source (Dad uses a blowtorch). Then, the lid is carefully released, and the sudden decrease in pressure causes the grains to puff, and to shoot out the chamber opening like a cannon. The whole activity is very exciting.
Laura
Spencer Family Cookbook 