The market · Nuts and seeds · South Asia, Northern and Central Europe
Poppy seeds
Used two very different ways: ground white seeds (posto) as a creamy, nutty paste in Bengali cooking, and blue-black seeds whole in central European breads and pastries.
nutty · sweet · creamy when ground
What to do with it
BengaliAloo postoPotatoes cooked in a thick paste of ground white poppy seed and green chilli, finished with raw mustard oil — nutty, creamy and plain in the best way.No one here has made it yetGoanXacutiChicken or mutton in a dark, complex sauce of grated coconut and a long list of whole spices, all roasted until brown and ground together.No one here has made it yetPolishObwarzanek krakowskiA ring of twisted dough, boiled briefly and then baked, crusted with poppy seed, sesame or salt and sold from street carts.No one here has made it yet
Kinds
- White poppy seed
- The Indian kind — soaked and ground to a paste for aloo posto.
- Blue poppy seed
- The European kind — for bagels, strudel and Polish makowiec.
Goes with
Knowing it
- Where to buy
- Indian grocers for white, central European delis for blue. Their oil goes rancid; buy small amounts and keep them in the fridge.
- Worth knowing
- For posto, soak the seeds for an hour, then grind with a little water and a green chilli.
