pleasantly nutty flavor and an attractively glossy appearance Two qualities set it apart from other edible seeds First, its oil is over half linolenic acid, an “omega-3” fatty acid that the body can convert into the healthful long-chain fatty acids (DHA, EPA) found in seafoods (p 183) Flax oil (also known as linseed oil, and valued in manufacturing for drying to a tough water-resistant layer) is by far the richest source of omega-3 fatty acids among plant foods Second, flaxseed is about 30% dietary fiber, a quarter of which is a gum in the seed coat made up of long chains of various sugars Thanks to the gum, ground flaxseed forms a thick gel when mixed with water, is an effective emulsifier and foam stabilizer, and can improve the volume of baked goods Poppy Seeds Poppy seeds come from a west Asian plant, Papaver somniferum, that was cultivated by the ancient Sumerians It’s the same plant whose immature seed capsules are cut to collect the latex called opium, a mixture of morphine, heroin, codeine, and other related alkaloid drugs The seeds are harvested from the capsules after the latex flow has stopped They may carry traces of opiate alkaloids as well, not enough to have an effect on the body, but enough to cause positive results in drug tests after the consumption of a poppy-flavored cake or pastry Poppy seeds are tiny; it takes 3,300 to make a gram, 90,000 an ounce, 1–2 million a pound The seed is 50% oil by weight Poppy seeds sometimes have a bitter, peppery taste, the result of damage to the seeds, which mixes oil with enzymes and generates free fatty acids The striking blue color of some poppy seeds is apparently an optical illusion Microscopic examination demonstrates that the actual pigment layer of the seed is brown Two layers above it, however, is a layer of ... to collect the latex called opium, a mixture of morphine, heroin, codeine, and other related alkaloid drugs The seeds are harvested from the capsules after the latex flow has stopped They may carry... The striking blue color of some poppy seeds is apparently an optical illusion Microscopic examination demonstrates that the actual pigment layer of the seed is brown Two layers above it, however, is a layer of ... make a gram, 90,000 an ounce, 1–2 million a pound The seed is 50% oil by weight Poppy seeds sometimes have a bitter, peppery taste, the result of damage to the seeds, which mixes oil with enzymes and generates free fatty acids The striking blue color of some poppy