Jump to navigation Jump to search Edible seeds of Salvia hispanica and S. This article is about chia buckwheat bread edible seed of certain Salvia species. For the chia plant, see Salvia hispanica.
For the golden chia plant, see Salvia columbariae. Color and detail of chia seeds close-up. There is evidence that the crop was widely cultivated by the Aztecs in pre-Columbian times and was a staple food for Mesoamerican cultures. Typically, chia seeds are small flattened ovals measuring on average 2. They are mottle-colored with brown, gray, black, and white. In the 21st century, chia is grown and consumed commercially in its native Mexico and Guatemala, as well as Bolivia, Argentina, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Australia.
New patented varieties of chia have been developed in Kentucky for cultivation in northern latitudes of the United States. Seed yield varies depending on cultivars, mode of cultivation, and growing conditions by geographic region. Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. The 16th-century Codex Mendoza provides evidence that it was cultivated by the Aztec in pre-Columbian times, and economic historians say it may have been as important as maize as a food crop.
Ground or whole chia seeds are used in Argentina, Bolivia, Guatemala, Mexico, and Paraguay for nutritious drinks and food. Today, chia is cultivated on a small scale in its ancestral homeland of central Mexico and Guatemala, and commercially in Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Mexico. They also may be made into a gelatin-like substance or consumed raw. The gel from ground seeds may be used in place of eggs in cakes while providing other nutrients, and is a common substitute in vegan and allergen-free baking. Unlike flax seeds, whole chia seeds do not need to be ground because the seed coat is delicate and readily digested, possibly improving nutrient bioavailability.
May 1997″, according to the Advisory Committee of Novel Foods and Processes. Chia seeds sold in the EU are imported mainly from South American and Central American countries, and require inspections for levels of pesticides, contaminants and microbiological criteria. Preliminary research remains sparse and inconclusive. In a 2015 systematic review, most of the studies did not show an effect of chia seed consumption on cardiovascular risk factors in humans.
