Poppyseed Torte

Because the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, named for its sleep-inducing properties, grew in the cold of northern Europe as sunflowers grew in the hot Mediterranean south, poppyseeds became a dominant flavoring agent in the north. The most common German type is blue-gray in color and its use dates back to the Lake Dwellers of prehistoric Switzerland. Consequently, poppyseeds appear everywhere, from the sweetened doughs of koclaches to egg breads like halvah and Hungari