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Poppy seeds

Spices & seasonings · Whole spices

Poppy seeds

Tiny blue-black or creamy white seeds with a nutty taste, used in baking and ground into Indian curry pastes.

Also called: khus khus, haşhaş, mak

A kind of seeds

14 recipes with it

Read the full spice guide: flavour, history and how to use it

Photo: Odedr, via Wikimedia Commons (public-domain)

What it is

Poppy seeds are minute, kidney-shaped seeds from the opium poppy. Blue-black seeds are used in European baking; white seeds (khus khus, posto) are soaked and ground in Indian cooking to thicken and enrich kormas and Bengali posto dishes. They taste nutty and mild and add a slight crunch.

Papaver somniferum

How it’s used

  • Bagels, rolls and lemon cakes
  • Polish and Central European poppy-seed rolls
  • Ground white poppy paste in kormas
  • Bengali aloo posto
  • Dressings

Characteristics

Taste
Mild, nutty.
Texture
Fine crunch; creamy when ground.
Sold as
whole, ground
Cooking uses
Suitable for baking, Used for thickening, Used as a garnish

Storage

Refrigerated. High in oil and turns rancid quickly: keep in an airtight jar in the fridge or freezer.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Some countries restrict import or sale of poppy seeds; check local rules when travelling with them.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
525 kcal
Protein
17.99 g
Carbohydrate
28.13 g
Fat
41.56 g
Fibre
19.5 g
Sugars
2.99 g

USDA FoodData Central: Spices, poppy seed.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Cashews — Soaked and ground cashews thicken kormas in place of white poppy paste.

Related ingredients

Recipes with poppy seeds

See all 14

2 more

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