Poppy seed
 |
|
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 2,196 kJ (525 kcal) |
|
28.13 g
|
|
| Dietary fiber | 19.5 g |
|
41.56 g
|
|
| Saturated | 4.517 g |
| Monounsaturated | 5.982 g |
| Polyunsaturated | 28.569 g |
|
21.22 g
|
|
| Vitamins | |
| Vitamin A equiv. |
(0%)
0 μg0 μg
|
| Vitamin A | 0 IU |
| Thiamine (B1) |
(74%)
0.854 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) |
(8%)
0.100 mg |
| Niacin (B3) |
(6%)
0.896 mg |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) |
(0%)
0 mg |
| Vitamin B6 |
(19%)
0.247 mg |
| Folate (B9) |
(21%)
82 μg |
| Choline |
(11%)
52.1 mg |
| Vitamin E |
(12%)
1.77 mg |
| Vitamin K |
(0%)
0.0 μg |
| Minerals | |
| Calcium |
(144%)
1438 mg |
| Iron |
(75%)
9.76 mg |
| Magnesium |
(98%)
347 mg |
| Manganese |
(109%)
2.285 mg |
| Phosphorus |
(124%)
870 mg |
| Potassium |
(15%)
719 mg |
| Sodium |
(2%)
26 mg |
| Zinc |
(74%)
7.0 mg |
| Other constituents | |
| Water | 5.95 g |
|
|
|
|
|
| Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database |
|
Poppy seed is an oilseed obtained from the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum). The tiny kidney-shaped seeds have been harvested from dried seed pods by various civilizations for thousands of years. The seeds are used, whole or ground, as an ingredient in many foods, and they are pressed to yield poppyseed oil.
The poppy seed is mentioned in ancient medical texts from many civilizations. For instance, the Egyptian papyrus scroll named Ebers Papyrus, written c. 1550 BC, lists poppy seed as a sedative. The Minoan civilization (approximately 2700 to 1450 BC), a Bronze Age civilization which arose on the island of Crete, cultivated poppies for their seed, and used a milk, opium and honey mixture to calm crying babies. The Sumerians are another civilization that are known to have grown poppy seeds. Poppy seeds have long been used as a folk remedy to aid sleeping, promote fertility and wealth, and even to provide supposed magical powers of invisibility.
Poppy seeds are less than a millimeter in length, kidney-shaped, and have a pitted surface. It takes 3,300 poppy seeds to make up a gram, and between 1 and 2 million seeds to make up a pound. The primary flavor compound is 2-Pentylfuran.
To some extent, harvesting for poppy seeds is in conflict with harvesting for opium. Poppy seeds of superior quality are harvested when they are ripe, after the seed pod has dried. Traditionally, opium is harvested while the seed pods are green and their latex is abundant, but when the seeds have just begun to grow.
The seeds of other poppy types are not eaten, but they are cultivated for the flowers they produce. Annual and biennial poppies are considered a good choice to cultivate from seed as they are not difficult to propagate by this method, and can be put directly in the ground during January. The California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), for example, is a striking orange wildflower that grows in the Western and Northwestern United States.
The poppy seed harvest can be a by-product of opium poppy cultivation for opium, poppy straw, or both opium and poppy straw. Conversely, poppy straw can be a by-product of cultivation of poppy seeds. Compared to the seed pod and straw, the seeds contain very low levels of opiates. The seeds may be washed to obtain poppy tea but a large amount is needed, around 300-400g depending on the levels of opiates.
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Wikipedia