Poppy Seed Oil - Papaver somniferum

Poppy seeds are tiny seeds contained within the bulb of the poppy flower, also known as the opium plant. Poppies are native to Mediterranean regions, India, China, Turkey and Central Asia.

Since antiquity, poppies have symbolised honour. Women in second century Crete cultivated poppy plants for opium and Hippocrates suggested opium in medicine. Islamic and Arabian countries used opium as a medicine and narcotic in the sixth century. By the 17th century, Asians used the poppy plant as an opiate. Europeans began trafficking the drug in the 19th century, culminating in the Opium Wars, in which China lost control of the industry. The Greeks used the seeds as flavouring for breads in the second century, and medieval Europeans used them as a condiment for breads.

The plant has been widely used for many years in the manufacturer of medicines. Poppy seeds are also used in cooking, to flavour breads, cakes, rolls and cookies in European and Middle Eastern cooking. In Turkey, they are often ground and used in desserts. In India, the seeds are ground and used to thicken sauces. The seed are also used in noodle, fish and vegetable dishes in Jewish, German and Slavic cooking.

Poppy seed oil is high in linoleic acid (typically 60-65%) and oleic acid (typically 18-20%). It also contains small amounts of saturated fats, Palmitic acid (around 10%). It may be suitable for a variety of cosmetic applications, although it has been under-utilised in this area. As with hemp oil, it is considered to have good moisturising properties.