poppy seeds

Tiny nutty seeds that come from Papaver somniferum, a yellowish-brown opium plant indigenous to the Mediterranean. Poppies are grown today in Holland, Canada, Asia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean.

Many of the poppy seeds used in cooking today come from Holland. Known as Holland Blue Poppy, these seeds are blueish-gray in color. They are often used in various baked goods.

Often used in Indian cooking are white poppy seeds. Less sweet than blue poppy, they are used to add thickness, texture and flavor to sauces.

(information gathered from aros.net and penzeys.com)

Poppy seeds have a distinctive flavor but almost no fragrance. Some one who has counted them said that there are 900,000 seeds to a pound. They are used mostly as a topping for cakes, rolls, yeast coffee cakes, cookies, confections, liqueurs and cordials. I love them on hamburger buns.