Recipes India - Poppy

Poppy
 
Poppy is the dried seed of an annual herb and is the earliest plant to be cultivated by men. In olden days, poppy was valued for the oil obtained from its seeds.

Today, poppy oil is an unusual specialty and is produced only in small quantities. Even though poppy seeds are not narcotic, they are cultivated for culinary purposes and for the production of opium.

Opium is obtained from the latex of the mature fruits by making incisions on them. In Mughal cooking style, ground poppy seeds are used as common thickening agents to obtain sweet, mild, nutty flavor and aroma.

Poppy is grown in India in states of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.