Davert Organic Oilseeds
The poppy plant has a turbulent history. Opium poppy was grown in the Eastern Mediterranean region as early as in the Neolithic period. Because of their high fat content, the nutty-sweet poppy seeds were an important food at the time. 3,500 years ago - probably in Cyprus - a far-reaching discovery was made. If the still unripe seed capsule of a flowering poppy plant is scratched, its milk juice will leak out. If you let it dry overnight, it turns into raw opium. This discovery was an absolute breakthrough for doctors in ancient times. For the first time they now had a remedy that could also relieve severe pain. Many treatments and surgeries were only made possible by the use of opium.
In ancient times, opium poppy was used not only for medical reasons, but also for cult purposes. Because of its numbing effect, it played a major role especially in Greek mythology. Three gods were symbolized by the poppy capsule: the dream god Morpheus, the death god Thanatos and the night goddess Nyx. In the Roman Empire, opium poppy was primarily reserved for the upper class. At their excessive parties, wealthy Romans not only drank wine, but also took opium. In 312 BC there were around 800 opium pharmacies in the city of Rome alone. These sold their goods either in the form of ”sweet pills“ or as ”juice from the herbs of oblivion“. After the fall of the Roman Empire, opium was banned by the church and not even allowed as pain medication. In contrast to Europe, poppy juice was not discredited in the Orient as “stuff of the devil”. On the contrary: Arab doctors used it for numerous treatments and even for eye operations. In the 12th century, the crusaders finally brought opium back to Western Europe. In the centuries that followed, opium poppy once again became the basic ingredient of many medicinal and narcotic substances.
Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) has been grown mainly as food over the millennia. In addition to cake, strudel and stollen, bread, pretzels and other hearty pastries were also refined with poppy seeds. In the Indian cuisine, the seeds are often roasted briefly to increase their aroma. They refine countless traditional curry varieties. There is opium poppy with white, black, gray and blue seeds. In European kitchens and bakeries, mainly gray and blue poppy seeds are used. Regardless of their color, poppy seeds as well as sesame or pumpkin seeds belong to the oilseeds. These are plant seeds from which cooking oil can be obtained. With their valuable ingredients, they complement salads, mueslis and many other dishes in a tasty way.
Davert Organic Oilseeds are versatile and an enrichment for any cuisine. The slightly nutty taste of brown linseed refines muesli and baked goods. Crushed linseed is particularly suitable for smoothies, juices, soups or sauces. The crispy Davert Organic Pumpkin Seeds are a wonderful snack, but also fit in soups, salads, pesto or muesli. Salad fans can look forward to the Davert Organic Salad Kernel Mix. The balanced mixture with tasty sunflower seeds, dark green pumpkin seeds and nutty cashew nut pieces is perfect for salads, toppings and for the use in creative dishes.
Because of their high proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids, Davert Organic Oilseeds are a useful addition to a wide variety of dishes and a tasty snack for in between.
