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Poppy seeds are small, kidney-shaped seeds with a sweet, slightly spicy, nutty flavour. Known by a variety of names, including khus khus in Hindi, kasa kasa in Tamil, gasagase in Kannada, afu guti in Assamese, and posto in Bengali. Poppy seeds are a prominent component in korma and aloo (potato) dishes in Indian cooking. They are pounded and mixed with liquid to thicken and provide texture to meals. Although the poppy plant which belongs to the Papaveraceae family is known to be a source of opium, the seeds taken from the pods are perfectly safe. While the seeds' origins may be traced back to Egypt, it was through Arab traders that they gained popularity in Persia and India, before spreading to Germany, Turkey, France, Poland, and other parts of Europe.
What's more intriguing is that poppy seeds come in a variety of colors besides white, which is the most frequent in India, including grey, black, and even a bluish tint. Poppy seeds have made their way into numerous cuisines around the world, particularly in India.
