I was at someone´s home in Turkey recently.  The 70 year old mother of the house prepared a wonderful meal.  On the table was what looked like thin flakes of brown pastry, which I ate.  When I asked what it was I was told haş/haşhaş (I don´t know how it is pronounced or spelt as I was too busy choking at the response and everyone was laughing.

So . . . will someone please clarify?  Was I in fact, in the home of the matriarch of some mafia family, plying their trade in suspect substances?

Well it tasted fine .

 I think you ate poppy seeds - I believe there are two types (not sure) black larger seeds and tiny small grey ones - both are sprinkled ontop of breads.

Was it something like that ?

But don´t worry, it is not a drug !

I don´t think so . . . no seeds in sight (unless they were finely ground and that´s why the pastry was brown), although I have had the bread with the seeds on top too.  Poppy seeds were also often on the table, to put on food . . . well either poppy seeds or carraway, but I think poppy.

Thanks anyway 

You know PT, that is one of the beautiful things about Turkey, you never quite know what you are eating and where it came from.  There are thousands of traditional dishes, snacks and bits and bobs from various villages in the east, south, north and west.  What may seem to us as normal everyday food (when we are there eating it with a Turkish family) may never have been heard of in another town or city - amazing.  Rich is the food and food culture !

I agree, and not only rich in the food culture! But not knowing what I´m eating? Brrrrrrr..... It´ll end up I´m eating brains, intestins, eyeballs or other gross things....

 My friend is a vegetarian and she was eating it, so I knew it didn´t having anything like that in it. 

I wasn´t referring to your ´hashhash´ food. I was talking in general, that I never eat anything that I don´t know because I´m afraid it will be something yikes.

 Me too, when I´m not with my friends.  That´s the good thing about a meal where there are lots of dishes to ´self help´ from, you can leave the dishes that you aren´t sure about. 

Actually, I even met the cow who provided the milk I drank, and the yoghurt I ate (I´m referring to the animal btw )

I was just thinking do you have buffets in your country?  Anyone?

hashish seeds are used in pastry in Turkey. I have no idea how it relates to hashish as drug but it`s delicious.

take a look at these pictures

http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&q=hashas+tohumu&btnG=Search+Images