Poppy seeds are harvested from opium poppy, the flowering plant that brought sleep to Dorothy and comrades in the classic tale, The Wizard of Oz.

Although the plant has long been cultivated for opium, it has also been grown specifically for its seeds since the Bronze Age. In Middle Eastern cuisine, the seeds are used to enhance the flavor of yeast breads and to make a paste to fill pastries.

Poppy seeds contain very little opiate derivatives, largely due to the fact that the best quality seeds are obtained from dried, mature seed pods instead of unripe green pods. Be aware, however, that the rumor about poppy seeds is true—consuming a quantity of seeds shortly before taking a drug screening test can cause false-positive results.