Chia seeds

Salvia hispanica

nuts & seeds

Small seeds of an annual sage from Mexico, a staple of several pre-Columbian peoples; its name comes from the Nahuatl chiyan. Soaked, they wrap themselves in a gel. They provide plant omega-3, mucilage, magnesium and calcium.

Origin

Mexico and Guatemala

Season (United States)

imported · all year round

Preparation

They swell up to ten times their volume: soak them first, or they will do it in your stomach. Allow 20 to 30 minutes in ten times their volume of liquid — overnight in the fridge for a thicker pudding. Stir once after two minutes: without it they clump into lumps that stay dry in the middle.

Molecules

Magnesium · Calcium · Selenium · Plant omega-3 (ALA)

Did you know?

The Aztecs gave them to hunters and to soldiers in training, made a refreshing drink of them, and offered them to the gods.