Poppy seed is the tiny, kidney-shaped seed of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) — slate blue-grey in the European type, cream-white in much of the Asian one — harvested from the dried seed pod after the plant has flowered, by which point the seed carries only negligible opium alkaloids. Mild and faintly sweet with a gentle, sandy crunch and a warm nutty note when toasted, it is strewn over bagels and breads, milled into rich dark fillings for Central-European pastries, and pressed for a delicate cooking oil.