Poppy Seeds

In Hungary, we basically have a bakery or a pastry shop on every corner. Hungarians love their sweets - and so will you!

Poppy seed is a very frequently used ingredient in Hungarian baking. Poppy seeds taste nutty with a pleasant fruitiness. They are rich in fiber, Magnesium and Calcium.

Hungarians use poppy seeds in their famous bejgli, kalács, some of their breads, bread pudding, pasta, crescents, croissants, crepes, strudel, cakes, pies, babka and even in ice cream. Growing up in Hungary my favorite was the poppy seed bread pudding!

While poppy seeds are a common everyday ingredient in Hungary, they can be difficult to find in the US. If your local grocery stores don't sell them, try online shops.

If you visit Hungary in June, you can admire the beautiful, endless, red flowers of the poppy fields. Bees of all kinds swarm the fields! The flowers will turn into a decorative seed pod, containing many tiny black seeds. The pods will rattle when shaken, once the seeds are mature. The dried pods can be used in floral arrangements.

One important factor to consider when baking with poppy seeds is that they are better when they are ground, because they release their flavor. You can sometimes buy ground poppy seeds, or it may be easier to get the regular ones and grind them in a coffee or spice grinder.

Zserbó now offers poppy seed bejgli, kalács, strudel, a lemon poppy bread and poppy seed pie. Our poppy products are one of the best sellers at the Farmers Markets!