Poppy seeds (Latin name: Papaver somniferum, alias: Yumi in Chinese pinyin) are seeds of Papaveraceaesp plants. They are kidney-shaped and rich in glycine, alanine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, aspartic acid and other amino acids, as well as a variety of trace elements such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium and zinc. According to the Compendium of Materia Medica, it tastes sweet, is non-toxic and cold in nature, helps defecation and alleviates bladder inflammation. Main functions: it treats gallstones, inappetence, wind-heat syndromes, chest distress and phlegm accumulation, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, relieves dryness and replenishes Yang. In addition, it is more effective to be pulverized, boiled in water and add honey to drink, and it relieves chest distress and smooths blood circulation if taking for a long time as poppy seedlings are excellent veges and the oil can be used in cooking.

Poppy seeds are mainly export products. The poppy seeds sold in foreign markets are denatured, which means the seeds can not germinate after physical sterilization. Modern toxicology and nutriology have proven that poppy seeds are rich in more than 100 kinds of vitamins, trace elements and natural substances such as polysaccharides, polypeptides and flavonoids that are beneficial to human body. With rich nutrients and no alkaloids like morphine, the poppy seeds are widely used in baking, sauces and dressing, tea and beverages, etc.