Poppy Uses

There are many uses for the poppy plant some of them are legal and innocent while others are for more illicit uses. The seeds are used in food, oil can also be made from the seeds for use in food and other uses and many gardeners prize these plants.

The longest use of the poppy has been the species Papaver somnifeum that has been used for centuries as a drug for sleeping, for pain and for headaches and this is the opium poppy. There are still opiate drugs made today, such as morphine, codeine and OxyContin.

The seeds from the same species are used in making poppy seed rolls, breads, bagels and other baked goods. There is also a process where these seeds are pressed to extract oil and is poppy seed oil is used on salads in countries such as France and Germany. There is also a poppy cake that is made from the oil in India.

Second pressing of the seeds for oil is done using a heat method, the oil is not edible is bitter tasting and smells like linseed oil, the oil is used by painters who use oil mediums it does not create the yellow tint that linseed oil does on these types of artwork. It does require a longer drying time and for that reason many artists use it on the top layers of their paintings. Soap and liniment are also made from this second pressing of the seeds, as well as oil lamp is made.