White poppy seed

Pavot blanc

What it is

Bengal's posto habit is usually traced to the colonial opium trade: the East India Company grew poppies across Bihar and Bengal for the resin, and the seed left behind was cheap there where it was dear everywhere else. The seed itself carries no opiates worth speaking of, though eat enough of it and a drug test will still say otherwise.

In the kitchen

Soak in warm water for half an hour, then grind wet with a splash of the soaking water; dry-ground it stays gritty and will never thicken anything. Add it off the boil and keep the heat low — poppy paste catches on the base of the pan faster than any other thickener in an Indian kitchen.

Goes with

Mustard oil Potato Nigella seed Chili pepper Onion Yogurt Ghee Cashew

Same species

Poppy seed Poppy seed oil

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