Blue Poppy Seeds

Blue Poppy Seeds come from the Papaver somniferum plant (the breadseed poppy). They have a mild, nutty flavour with a hint of sweetness and spice. They are ever popular in baking and cooks often add them to breads, muffins, biscuits and cakes. No need to stop there, though! Blue Poppy Seeds can go with anything you like, adding flavour, texture and visual interest. You could try them in breakfast cereals, slaws, pasta and noodle dishes, marinades and more.

There was a time when all Blue Poppy Seeds came from the same flower that produced opium. These days, there are many varieties where the opium producing parts are bred out and so the plant cannot make it. This is great for global farmers as the legal implications of growing lots of poppy plants could be very risky, even with the purest of intentions. The growing of opium poppies could then be regulated for the production of alkaloids (opiates) including morphine and codeine, separately from the seeds bound for food markets. Finishing up talking about morphine seems a bit odd, so we’ll say that poppy seed bagels are one of our favourite uses for these tiny seeds!

As with all herbs and spices, add a little at a time to get the flavour you want. You can always add more, but taking it out again can be impossible!