Poppy
Description
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Tiny nutty-tasting, blue-gray seeds inside capsules on Papaver sominiferum,
yellowish-brown opium plant indigenous to the Mediterranean
Used Plant Part
Plant Family
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Papaveracea (poppy family)
Taste and Aroma
Origin
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Stems from West Asia
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Cultivated in Europe
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Earliest plants cultivated by men
Geographical Sources
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Native to Mediterranean regions, India, China, Turkey,
and Iran
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Holland and Canada are the main producers of poppy seeds
today
Storage Tips
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Store in cool, dark, dry places
Additional Information:
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Ancients valued poppy for the oil obtained from it’s
seeds; yet the narcotic and analgetic power of opium was well known to
Greek medicine
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Poppy oil is an unusual specialty and is produced only
in small quantities today
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In Northern India ground poppy seeds are common thickening
agent in the moghul cooking
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Poppy’s nutty taste is loved by the Japanese and used
for the subtly flavoured dishes
Spice World Lesson