20/12/2024
Once upon a time in a land known as Bishun, there was a small provision shop called Kaya Spices. Kaya Spices was the raving talk of the town. They had flocks of customers from all over the island. They were well associated with their sheer variety of spices. Pink Pepper? Of course. Annatto seeds. Yes! Spanish Saffron? You got it! Over the years, many customers came with the sole purpose of challenging their claim. Each one of them left with agonizing defeat acquainted with an incredibly rare spice for their futile efforts.
In tribute to his ice-cold demeanour, the owner was called… the Iceman. While he was pleased with the veracity of his business, there was one spice which continued to elude him. For the fear of ex*****on by the land, no suppliers even had dared to approach him with this spice.
That all changed one day, when a beautiful woman appeared in front of the shop. Her appearance was scarcely believable. She had bright green cardamom pods for ear studs. Cinnamon sticks for hair. Black peppercorns in the pupils of her eye. She smelt of the godly amalgamation of cinnamon rolls and nasi briyani.
The Goddess of spices herself had descended.
As she glided elegantly into the shop, Iceman’s ice-cold mannerisms melted away. He became a kid once again, and his excitement was barely contained.
His voice was shaking.
He managed a whimper. “Kasa Kasa?"
In a grand supernova of spices raining down from the heavens, the shop imploded within its seams, destroying everything in sight and leaving just a humongous pile of…
Poppy Seeds
கசகசா
罂粟籽
Biji Popia
While the above legend is often trampled upon as garbage, the uncanny similarities to a small provision shop in Yishun does raise a few eyebrows.
That being said, poppy seeds are BANNED in Singapore. This is the first sentence of my actual article because it is essential to make this clear. It is an opioid, which means if you consume an unnaturally large dose of its unwashed, unprocessed seeds in a ridiculously short period of time, you can get high (citation needed). Our nation is not known for its nuanced perception towards drugs, so you can kind of understand why they just threw a blanket ban over it.
I first got to know this spice through my relatives in India. Their mutton Kurma was creamy, thick, and it had an addictive texture that I could not quite explain. When I probed curiously for their ingredients, my aunty just shrugged it off. “We cooked it with love, pa”. In an epiphany some 12 years later, I realised their form of love probably also came in the size of tiny, whitish pods called poppy seeds.
Poppy seeds are versatile. They can take on the role of sesame seeds, atop burgers and sponge cakes to lend crunchiness and bittersweetness. They can masquerade the cooling properties of basil seeds, and are commonplace in badam milk and sharbat. Freshly ground poppy seed paste, combined with fruit flavours and other spices can also instantly elevate any croissant or pastry due its unique, crunchy texture.
There is a myth going around that you can get these elusive seeds in Jeya Spices. We can assure you it is not true.
However if you are a beautiful goddess adorned in spices…
