White Poppy Seeds 250g

Sold as khus khus in South Asian cooking, these white poppy seeds are very small, slightly curved and finely ridged, with a creamish pale colour. The flavour is nutty and a little cereal-like, gentler than the darker blue poppy seed, and mild enough to thicken a sauce without tinting it. Ours come from Turkey and China, and we pack them by hand here in Sussex.

Blitz or grind them into a paste for korma gravies and Bengali aloo posto, or use them as they are in baking, kneaded into bread dough and sprinkled over buns, crackers and biscuits. They also toast well for a nutty topping on salads and vegetables.

They have not been heat treated, so cook them through before serving. A cool, dry cupboard away from sunlight suits them best.