Poppy-seed dishes are very important in the Christmas menu of European countries. According to the regional tradition, cakes or desserts with poppyseed have been baked or prepared for centuries. The important role of poppyseed is determined not only by its flavor, but also by long-forgotten beliefs. As early as in the Middle Ages the Europeans noticed soporific and psychedelic properties of poppyseed and for that reason they perceived it as having magic power of connecting the living with the world of the dead. Its presence on the Christmas table is related to the desire for contacting with the deceased ancestors and honoring them during this important family time.
