Blue poppy seeds are a popular ingredient in various baked goods. Here you can find out more about the characteristics, ingredients and use of the opium poppy.
Blue poppy: nutritional values and uses
Blue poppies are the small, dark blue to greyish, ripe seeds from the capsules of the poppy plant. This type of poppy is also known as opium poppy. This is because all parts of the plant contain so-called alkaloids. These substances are the basis for the production of narcotics and intoxicants, such as opium in particular. The best-known opium alkaloid is morphine.
Due to its nutty taste, blue poppy seeds are used in the kitchen especially as a baking ingredient. It serves as a topping for poppy seed rolls and as a main ingredient in various cakes, such as:
Poppy seed crumble cake
poppy seed strudel
poppy braid
Poppy seed cake
Poppy Cheesecake
The nutritional values of blue poppy are relatively similar to nuts and other seeds. For example, Rapunzel’s organic blue poppy seeds have around 533 kilocalories per 100 grams. It consists of about 42 percent fat. Unsaturated fatty acids make up the majority. It contains about 4.2 grams of carbohydrates, 20.5 grams of fiber and 23.8 grams of protein per 100 grams.
Is blue poppy harmful to health?
Blue poppy seeds usually do not contain morphine. However, when harvested, the alkaloid-rich milky sap can contaminate the seeds. According to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), the morphine content of poppy seeds can vary greatly depending on the harvest and origin.
According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), you can lower the morphine content in blue poppy seeds through proper processing in the kitchen. Morphine levels decrease due to:
Grind
Heat
Wash
Morphine is an important painkiller in medicine. For example, farmers grow opium poppies for medicinal purposes, especially in the Balkan region. However, if you take excessive amounts without medical indication, side effects such as vomiting, nausea, breathing problems, drowsiness and cardiovascular problems can result.
The BfR therefore recommends not consuming more than 6.3 micrograms of morphine per kilogram of body weight per day. For manufacturers, this means that one gram of poppy seeds should not contain more than four micrograms of morphine per gram. If these guidelines are observed, a person weighing 60 kilograms should consume a maximum of 94.5 grams of poppy seeds per day.
However, since there is no guarantee that poppy seed products actually meet the guidelines, you should stay well below this value. In general, the BfR advises against consuming foods with a high poppy seed content; especially in pregnancy.
Blue poppy: purchase and storage
You can get blue poppies either as whole seeds or in ground form. In the baking department you will also find ready-made poppy seed fillings. You should keep the seeds in a closed container in a cool place. It is best to store ground poppy seeds in the refrigerator. In addition, you should use it as quickly as possible, as it quickly becomes rancid due to the high oil content. Whole seeds usually keep for several months.
