Poppyseed oil

Poppyseed oil is an edible oil made from poppy seeds, which come from the opium poppy plant. People make this oil by pressing the seeds, and it makes up about half of the seeds' weight.

Like the seeds themselves, poppyseed oil tastes nice and is good to eat. It is rich in vitamin E and does not have any narcotic effects. Poppy seeds contain special compounds called tocopherols, which are a type of vitamin E, and poppyseed oil has plenty of these.

Compared to other vegetable oils, poppyseed oil has a moderate amount of phytosterols. It has more of these than soybean oil and peanut oil, but less than oils like safflower oil, sesame oil, wheat germ oil, corn oil, and rice bran oil. Poppyseed oil also has very little smell and a pleasant flavor. It stays fresh longer than some other oils because it does not go bad, or become rancid, as easily.

Uses

Poppyseed oil can be used for cooking and to keep skin soft. It is mainly used to make paints, varnishes, and soaps.

It is a type of drying oil, which means it can help paint dry. While linseed oil is more common for painting, poppyseed oil is especially good for white paints. It does not leave a yellow color like linseed oil, but it takes longer to dry. Poppyseed oil is also used in a special medical liquid called lipiodol, which helps doctors see inside the body more clearly.

History

Long ago, in the early 1900s, many countries grew opium poppies. France and Germany made the most poppyseed oil. They used seeds from other places to make a lot of it—about 60 million kilograms each year. People mainly used this oil for salads. Sometimes they mixed it with other oils like sesame oil, hazelnut oil, or olive oil to make it taste better. They also mixed poppyseed oil with peach kernel oil.