Food and Drinks

Most probably, you are interested in poppy seeds, hence you clicked on this page. Or maybe, you are too fond of pastries that you want to know the seeds that are baked in or sprinkled in them. Whatever is your case, this article will let you know about the facts of poppy seeds which are widely used as ingredients in our favourite pastries.

Poppy seeds are known by people who are fond of foods and who make a living through baking. Perhaps it will be correct to say that poppy seeds are barely known by most people. For this reason, it is a good idea to allot this page for the important information about these seeds. If you havent heard about poppy seeds, read on and find out their interesting facts.

Poppy plants are mostly found in Asian regions where the general climate provides for the best temperature for the plants to grow. Poppy seeds, which are found at the head of poppy plants, are small dried seeds that taste like nuts.

Although in the present time poppy seeds are mostly used for cooking foods, during the ancient times they were mainly used for medicinal purposes. In Greece, Hippocrates introduced these seeds to his fellow Greeks as a medicine for insomnia. Todays time, poppy seeds are introduced as herbal remedies for curing coughs, earaches and toothaches. In addition, these seeds are also long known to fight off inflammation, fever, dysentery among other sickness. Hence, it is no wonder why dried poppy pods are widely cultivated today as much as in the previous centuries.

Poppy seeds are most popular today as food ingredients in different pastries. Most of the time, they are sprinkled in cakes, bread or rolls. Aside from its nutty taste, poppy seeds are very enticing to eat because of the nutrients each seed contains. The seeds contain linoeic acid, oleic acid, and unsaturated fatty acids. Moreover, the seeds have extracts that can be used in cooking and making soaps.

Aside from being a great health food, poppy seeds represent symbols. They are considered symbol of fertility and prosperity, hence used in rituals and used as amulets to fight off bad luck and invite love, money and luck. It is also a symbol for fallen warriors.

Poppy seeds may contain health benefits, but they can also be addictive because of the alkaloids such as morphine and codeine they are contained with. Experts suggest using ripe poppy seeds that contain trace amounts of alkaloids. Unripe ones are loaded with too much alkaloids, hence dangerous for those who do not deliberately plan to become alkaloid addicts.

Getting all these facts about poppy seeds is definitely beneficial to be able to get the best out of the seeds and get rid of the threats they can pose to our mental and physical health.