Poppy Seed

Poppy seed is a tiny kidney-shaped oilseed with slate-blue to ivory color and a delicate crunch. It tastes nutty and toasty when heated, adding subtle aroma and gentle grit to breads, pastries, and salad toppings. Used whole as a topping or ground into pastes for fillings and sauces; sold as blue or white seeds, occasionally pre-ground.\n\nDerived from the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), it was domesticated around the Mediterranean and spread through Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia. Culinary seeds are harvested from dried pods and thoroughly cleaned to reduce alkaloid residue, featuring prominently in Jewish, Austrian, Persian, and Indian kitchens.