From the Pantry: Poppy Seeds
by Paula Gray

poppy seed recipes

One of my favorite scenes from The Wizard of Oz is when Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion are just about to reach the Emerald City. The Wicked Witch of the West sees their approach through her crystal ball and stops them in their tracks by making them fall fast asleep in a field of poppies. As she casts her spell, she softly cackles, "sleep… sleep… poppies will put them to sleep!"

The botanical name, Papaver somniferum, indicates the formidable sleep-inducing properties of this annual plant. The slate blue poppy seeds we eat come from the poppy plant, but there is no need to worry about nodding off as you enjoy their sweet, nut-like flavor in food.

The poppy plant gives us opium; however, the ripe seed is not at all narcotic. Opium is contained in the milky sap of the immature fleshy tissues of the outer walls of the plant. By the time the seeds are formed late in the poppy plant’s life cycle, the sticky, gooey substance is no longer present. After the beautiful, tissue-like flowers have faded, the resulting seed pod contains about 30,000 tiny kidney-shaped seeds. The immature seeds and seed capsule do have narcotic properties, but the harvested, ripened seeds available to us as consumers are perfectly safe to eat.

Native to Southwest Asia, poppies were grown by all ancient civilizations. The plant’s narcotic properties were recognized, employed by physicians, and recorded by Sumerians as early as 3500 BC. The food value of the seeds was also well known. A popular Roman treat was a dense mixture of roasted seeds and honey, similar to a granola bar. The Greeks added poppy seeds to sweet bread dough, which continues to be a delicious way to use the crunchy, mild seeds.

As they do contain oil, store poppy seeds in an airtight container in the refrigerator to keep them fresh. Enjoy them in these recipes.

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