Poppy seeds, harvested from the opium poppy plant, are used in both sweet and savory dishes and are an excellent source of nutrition. Poppy seed oil is used for cooking and pharmaceuticals, while the opium poppy is the source of the controlled substance opium. False positive drug test results can occur due to trace amounts of opium in dried poppy seeds. Other poppy plant varieties are not suitable for human consumption.
A poppy seed is a small kidney-shaped seed. It is harvested from the opium poppy plant and is classified as an oilseed, meaning that its oil is pressed and almost as commonly used as its seeds. Many countries around the world produce opium poppies, with India and Turkey reported as the top growers. Yugoslavia, France, Poland, Hungary and Belgium also produce a significant portion of the world’s opium poppy seeds. The seed is commonly used as a baking ingredient in baked goods, as a side dish, or part of a spice blend.
The seeds, which vary in color from white to blue, purple and black, are used in both sweet and savory recipes, both whole and ground. The ground seeds are often mixed with butter or milk to create a paste used in baking. The seed is also used by various cultures as a side dish, condiment, and spice. A dish may also have poppy seeds as the main ingredient.
Poppy seed is also considered to be an excellent source of nutrition, providing protein, fiber and other nutrients. They are also hailed as a seed that few people find allergenic. In rare cases, however, eating the seed has caused life-threatening reactions in humans.
Poppy seed oil is used for cooking, pharmaceuticals and is found in some varieties of paints. The solid residues of the oil are generally considered an excellent source of protein and nutrients for animals and are frequently added to animal feed. These seeds also provide nourishment in feed consumed by domestic and wild birds and are often fed to them in large quantities to combat diarrhea and other gastrointestinal ailments.
The opium poppy is also the source of the controlled substance opium. While the pods are still green and flexible and the seeds are just starting to develop, they are being harvested for the opium drug. Poppy seeds used for culinary purposes are harvested when the plant is mature and the pods have dried. Because these two processes are so closely synchronized, trace amounts of opium are frequently found in the dried seeds. This sometimes leads to people being falsely accused of substance abuse when the person ingested food containing the semen and a subsequent blood draw tested positive for opium. These false positive test results often require legal proceedings to prove their lack of validity.
Seeds that come from other poppy plant varieties are not suitable for human consumption. They are generally used to grow annual and semi-annual flowers. One of the most popular varieties, the California poppy, is renowned for the brilliant orange flower it produces.
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