Poppy Seed Oil

Poppy seed oil is an edible oil obtained from the seeds of Papaver somniferum, the opium poppy, which yield between forty five and fifty percent oil by volume. It has little or no odor, a pleasant taste, and no narcotic properties, and it is less prone to rancidity than some other oils, qualities that made it suitable for salad dressings and general cooking. In the early twentieth century production centered on France and Germany, where it was used mainly to dress salads, though lower quality batches were often adulterated with sesame or hazelnut oil to mask rancidity from poorly stored seeds. The oil is also notable for its high vitamin E content.