Poppyseeds come from pods at the base of poppy flowers, Papaver somniferum. Many varieties of cuisine use poppyseeds, whole or ground, as a spice in sauces, breads, and marinades. Also, poppyseeds contain chemical alkanoids that are used to make opiate derivatives, such as morphine, opium, and heroin.
When the polinated poppy's blooms shrivel, they leave behind a capsule full of slowly ripening seeds. These kinds of poppies are native to Asia and Europe. For centuries, many cultures have used their mature seeds as a spice. Poppyseeds are dark blue or grey in color and smaller than the head of a pin. An Indian variety are whitish. With their mild and nutty flavor, they are used in recipes similar to sesame seeds. The United States imports most of our poppyseeds from the Netherlands. When cold-pressed, they produce a flavorful oil similar to olive oil.
Foods in Turkish and Indian cuisine have inspired many chefs to integrate poppyseeds into main dishes, salads and desserts. It's common to find poppyseeds sprinkled on top of bagels, floating in balsamic vinaigrette, or encrusting a roasted turkey. You can bake them into pecan muffins, a loaf of lemon bread, or pumpkin cookies. Even though the amount of alkanoids in poppyseeds is negligible, it's true that ingesting them can result in a false positive on an opiate drug test for about 48 hours afterwards.
In Latin, the name of the poppy "somniferum" means, "brings sleep." The soporific effects of burning or eating poppyseeds were well known to ancient cultures. Eventually, people developed ways of concentrating the alkanoids to make opium and heroin, which are now controlled substances. They were also used to develop the powerful painkilling drug, morphine. The lore surrounding poppyseeds was so strong that women in Europe used to place them on a windowsill if they wanted to give birth to a baby boy rather than a girl.
