Poppy Seeds

Poppy Seeds, little as they are, carry a lot of weight in the kitchen. Each seed holds a good amount of oil, and that's exactly why whole seeds keep so much longer than ground ones — the crushed seed exposes far more surface to the air, and a handful crushed in a mortar suddenly smells like something alive, nutty, warm, almost like fresh bread crust. That smell is your best guide. Good poppy seeds smell faintly sweet and nutty, never sharp, never musty, never like old paint — and if they taste bitter on the tongue instead of sweet and nutty, the oil has turned, and no sugar in your filling will fix that.

Look at the seeds too: they should be uniformly dark, dry, and run through your fingers freely, not clump together.

Now, the common story: some people say poppy seeds don't need any preparation, just stir them into the dough as they are. No! Whole seeds work well as a topping, giving a pleasant crunch and a mild nutty bite, but for a proper filling, grinding is what brings out their real flavor and lets it spread through the dough. Skip that step for a filling, and you'll get crunch instead of the rich, dark paste a good roll deserves.