Poppy seeds are a type of oilseed obtained from the poppy plant (Papaver somniferum). The tiny, kidney-shaped seeds have been harvested from dried seed pods by various civilizations for thousands of years. Poppy seeds are widely used in many countries, especially in Central Europe and South Asia, where they are legally grown, used in food products, and sold in shops. The seeds are used either whole, or ground into meal as an ingredient in many foods – especially in pastry and bread. It is also possible to press poppyseeds into edible poppyseed oil.
History
The poppy seed is mentioned in ancient medical texts from many civilizations. For instance, the Egyptian Ebers Papyrus, written c. 1550 BCE, lists the poppy seed as a sedative. The Minoan civilization (approximately 2700 to 1450 BCE), a Bronze Age civilization which arose on the island of Crete, cultivated poppies for their seeds, and used a mixture of milk, opium and honey to calm crying babies. The Sumerians are another civilization that are known to have grown poppy seeds.
Description Poppy seeds are less than a millimeter in length, kidney-shaped, and have a pitted surface. It takes about 3,300 poppy seeds to make up a gram, and between 1 and 2 million seeds to make up a pound. The primary flavor compound is 2-pentylfuran. The seeds are cultivated for the flowers they produce. Annual and biennial poppies are used to cultivate from seed as they are not difficult to propagate, and can be put directly in the ground during winter. The California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), for example, is a striking orange wildflower that grows in the Western and Northwestern United States.
Production and export The poppy seeds harvest can be a by-product of cultivation of Papaver somniferum for opium, poppy straw, or both opium and poppy straw. However, harvesting for poppy seeds of superior quality is in conflict with harvesting for opium as poppy seeds should be harvested when they are ripe, after the seed pod has dried. Traditionally, opium is harvested while the seed pods are green and the seeds have just begun to grow and their latex is abundant. Poppy straw can be a by-product of cultivation of poppy seeds. Compared to the seed pod and straw, the seeds contain very low levels of opiates. The seeds may be washed to obtain poppy tea but a large amount is needed, around 300–400 g depending on the levels of opiates. Since poppy seeds are relatively expensive, they are sometimes mixed with the seeds of Amaranthus paniculatus, which closely resemble poppy seeds. In 2024, Turkey produced 8,441 tonnes and Serbia 1,079 tonnes. The Czech Republic was the leading country exporting poppy seeds in 2024 with 23,600 tonnes (approximately 53 million lbs), followed by Hungary, the Netherlands, and Turkey.
Nutrition
Poppy seeds are 6% water, 28% carbohydrates, 42% fat, and 21% protein (table). The fat content is primarily from the polyunsaturated fat, linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid (source in table). In a reference amount of 100 g (3.5 oz), poppy seeds provide 525 calories, and are a rich source of thiamin, folate, and several dietary minerals, including calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc (each having 20% or more of the Daily Value, table).
Food products
Intact seeds Whole poppy seeds are widely used as a spice and decoration in and on top of many baked goods and pastries. In North America they are used in and on many food items such as poppyseed muffins, rusk, bagels (like the Montreal-style bagel), bialys, and cakes such as sponge cake. Poppy seeds can also be used like sesame seeds, added to hamburger buns or to make a bar of candy. The bars are made from boiled seeds mixed with sugar or with honey. This is especially common in the Balkans, Greece and even in the cuisines of former Austro-Hungarian countries. The color of poppy seeds is important in some uses. According to The Joy of Cooking, "the most desirable come from Holland and are a slate-blue color." When used as a thickener in some dishes, white poppy seeds are preferred, having less impact on the color of the food. In other dishes, black poppy seeds are preferred, for maximum impact. Blue poppy seeds are used in various German breads and desserts as well as in Polish cuisine.
Paste
Poppy seeds can be ground using a generic tool such as a mortar and pestle or a small domestic type electric blade grinder, or a special purpose poppy seed grinder. A poppy seed grinder (mill) is a type of burr grinder with a set aperture that is too narrow for intact poppy seeds to pass through. A burr grinder produces a more uniform and less oily paste than these other tools. The poppy seed paste is used for fillings in pastries, sometimes mixed with butter or milk and sugar. The ground filling is used in poppy seed rolls and some croissants and may be flavored with lemon or orange zest, rum and vanilla with raisins, heavy cream, cinnamon, and chopped blanched almonds or walnuts added. For sweet baked goods, sometimes instead of sugar a tablespoon of jam, or other sweet binding agent, like syrup is substituted. The poppy seed for fillings is best when they are finely and freshly ground because this will make a big difference in the pastry filling's texture and taste. Poppy seed paste is available commercially, in cans. Poppy seeds are very high in oil, so commercial pastes normally contain sugar, water, and an emulsifier such as soy lecithin to keep the paste from separating. Commercial pastes also contain food preservatives to keep them from becoming rancid. In the United States, commercial pastes are marketed under brand names including Solo and American Almond. Per 30 gram serving, the American Almond poppy seed paste has 120 calories, 4.5 grams fat, and 2 grams protein.
Oil Poppy seeds are pressed to form poppyseed oil, a valuable commercial oil that has multiple culinary and industrial uses.
Other uses Poppy seeds are often used as bird seed, in which case they are usually called maw seeds.
Use by cuisine
Poppy seeds are used around the world in various cuisines.
European cuisine
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