The concept of an "everything bagel" has gone from a simple bagel variety to a standalone pantry staple all its own, thanks to the popularity of . This seasoning includes sea salt, white and black sesame seeds, dried minced garlic, dried minced onion, and poppy seeds. It has even found popularity in other countries, including South Korea — my mom even brought some to our relatives there once.
But don't bother trying to bring it into South Korea now, because if you do, you're not going to like what happens next. If authorities find that you have in your luggage, it will likely be confiscated. That's because there's one particular ingredient in this seasoning that's restricted in South Korea, and that's the poppy seeds.
Poppy seeds, which come from the papaver somniferum plant (also known as the poppy plant), can have trace amounts of opium on their exterior, thanks to the poppy latex present on the seed's coating. Poppy latex is the milky white fluid that comes out from poppy pods when they are cut, which contains opium alkaloids such as codeine, thebaine, and morphine. However, the actual seeds themselves don't contain any opiates.
South Korea has restricted the seasoning since 2022 This seasoning has actually been on the restricted list since 2022. However, since it has only continued to grow in popularity in South Korea since then, the frequency at which it's being brought into the country has increased, leading to closer scrutiny by officials. South Korea is particularly.
