I'm working my way through this book called the Devil's Picnic by Taras Grescoe, which follows the writer around the world in a study of controlled, banned, illegal, and otherwise "dangerous" food products. First there was the Norwegian moonshine, hjemmebrent, which has an alcohol content that takes the imbiber from sober to drunken-sick in seconds.
In Singapore, Grescoe looks at poppy seeds, which are considered illegal. Poppy seeds can contain low levels of morphine, and a person who has eaten poppy seeds can test positive for the presence of controlled drugs. No wonder you feel so sleepy after that giant poppy seed bagel smothered with cream cheese! In 2002, Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau fined Marks & Spencer $60,000 for carrying poppy seed biscuits.
Food blog Oswego Tea has a post about lemon poppy seed cookies, the photo which shows beautiful stacks of simple lemon cookies studded with poppy seeds. They are beautiful, sound delicious, and now, have slightly more appeal to me with the knowledge that somewhere, poppy seeds are illegal.
[photo: Oswego Tea]
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