The poppy seed used for cooking is the ripened, dried seed of the Oriental or opium poppy. Poppy cultivation for culinary dates as far back as 1400 B.C., and the Ancient Egyptians pressed it for oil. These little seeds commonly made into muffins have many more uses than you might think.
Instructions
1. Grow your own poppies for culinary purposes. However, make sure that you are growing the Oriental variety. Clip whole poppy flowers, and hang them until the plant is completely dry. When you can hear the seeds rattling inside of the center pod, snip off the stem and shake the seeds into an airtight container.
2. Purchase Dutch poppy seeds for their rich flavor and renowned quality, or save some pennies by purchasing the European and Australian varieties, which are the species most commonly used. While Indian poppy seeds are quite rare and have a slightly bitter taste.
3. Bring out the full flavor of poppy seeds by lightly roasting and crushing them before use. At the very least, crush the seeds with a mortar and pestle to release their flavorful oils.
4. Add poppy seeds when cooking Indian and Middle Eastern dishes to add a nutty aroma and flavor. You can grind the seeds and use them to thicken sauces of any kind, the classic ingredient in buttered noodles.
5. Grind poppy seeds, and add them to fruit salads, sweet dressings. Use them gently crushed in just about any bakery item, including cakes, cookies, pastries as well as pancake and waffle batter.
6. Cook noodle, fish, potato and various vegetable dishes with a pinch of ground poppy seed to add a unique and full bodied nutty flavor.
Tags: poppy seeds, poppy seed, seeds them
