Blue Poppy seed

Botany and history
The poppy is an annual herbaceous plant with a growth height of 30 - 150 cm, of which there are around 600 species worldwide. The white, yellow, orange to purple-violet flowers of the blue poppy, also known as the opium poppy, are a picturesque splash of colour in the summer landscape. After the flowers are pollinated, they develop into spherical capsule fruits containing up to 30,000 aromatic poppy seeds per capsule.

The opium poppy originally comes from the eastern Mediterranean region. Its use as a useful plant has been known in southern Europe since 6000 BC, making poppy one of the oldest cultivated plants. Sources also show that various ancient cultures, such as the Sumerians and Greeks, used opium poppy for ritual purposes and as a sleeping pill. This is also indicated by the botanical name of the plant, which is derived from the Latin word: somniferum = sleep-inducing.

The poppy plant contains alkaloids in its milky sap, from which the pain-relieving opium can be extracted. For centuries, poppy seeds were therefore of great importance in the art of healing, as many medical interventions were only made possible by their anaesthetic effect.

Main cultivation countries
Due to the great popularity of poppies in Habsburg cuisine, the Czech Republic can look back on a long tradition of poppy cultivation and is now the world's largest producer of high-quality poppies for culinary purposes, with around 30,000 of a total of around 100,000 tonnes. Other important poppy-growing countries are Turkey, Spain, France and Hungary.

Poppy cultivation in Germany came to a virtual standstill for a long time, as it had to be authorised by the Federal Opium Agency in accordance with the Narcotics Act. Today, three low-morphine poppy varieties with a morphine content of less than 0.02% are authorised for cultivation in Germany. As a rule, the natural morphine concentration is 10 - 20 mg/kg. Values of 4 mg/kg or lower can be achieved by treating the product with hot steam.

Processing and use
When the poppy capsules have turned a brownish colour after flowering, they are cut by hand or with the help of special mowing machines. As soon as the capsules are completely dry, they are opened and the small, black poppy seeds are removed. These are usually sold as whole seeds, but are also available in ground form.

Poppy seeds are a versatile oilseed: in the food industry, for example, they give characteristic baked goods such as poppy seed cakes, pies and strudels their unmistakable flavour and serve as an aromatic topping for bread and rolls. In Austrian and Slavic cuisine, poppy seeds are also an indispensable ingredient in numerous pastries. The cold-pressed, nutty-flavoured poppy seed oil refines dishes and is also used in cosmetics.

Poppy seeds are not only delicious, but also very healthy: they contain a variety of nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids, fibre and antioxidants, which help to reduce the risk of heart disease, stabilise the blood sugar level and promote healthy digestion, among other things.