I hadn’t realized that poppy seeds come in different shades; I always thought they were black, like bread in Europe, so I was surprised to be told that the little grains of sand I was looking at were actually poppy plant seeds. They then showed me seeds of different colors, some dark blue and some more yellow than white. Because bread as we know it is not popular or common in Pakistan, there is no poppy seed bread. Typical rotis (or chapattis) are plain, just like naan-type breads, although some naans are like pizzas, topped with potato paste or chickpea flour paste with tomato slices and hot green chilies. Only parathas are stuffed with vegetables as grated mooli, and are eaten on weekends for breakfast, when people are not in a hurry to go to work. Nowadays where I live in Rawalpindi very few people bother to cook roti as they are subsidized by the provincial government and are sold at only 2 rupees per roti. Given the amount of time and effort it takes to cook roti, it’s much easier to buy them locally. tandoor made up.

The Latin name of the poppy, Papavar somniferum (the dream poppy) always reminds me of the scene in “Wizard of Oz” when Dorothy and her companions succumb to the sleeping effects of the flowers and fall asleep in a field of poppies.

The ancient Greeks associated the poppy with the lesser god Hypnos, the god of sleep, so I assume that the opium obtained from the poppy was associated with his twin brother, Morpheus, the god of dreams. Before I came to Pakistan, I thought poppies would still be grown, but I haven’t seen any poppy fields and there doesn’t seem to be a social problem related to morphine use, although heroin is a different matter. Poppy seeds contain little to no traces of narcotics, even though the plant they come from is the same one that provides us with codeine and morphine.

Traditionally, poppy seeds are used medicinally in the Indian subcontinent. They are cooked with green cardamom and sugar to treat diarrhoea, and the poppy plant extract is used to reduce fever, relieve liver problems and treat tuberculosis.

In Pakistan poppy seeds, gold Kash-Kash as they are called, they are used ground to thicken sauces and in soft drinks. They are also sometimes added to rice dishes to give them a different flavor. One of the popular drinks is Serdai, which can be made with milk or water.

SERDAI

Ingredients

1 liter of milk or water

30g blanched almonds

50g poppy seeds

4 green cardamoms, seeded and peeled

6 black peppercorns

icy

sugar to taste

method

Grind the poppy seeds very well. Then grind the cardamom seeds and the almond.

Put the black peppercorns, sugar and milk or water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, put all the ingredients except the ice and let cool.

Serve cold, with ice.