What Is Salvia Hispanica?

Growing

• S. hispanica prefers a well-drained site in full sun. It is an annual in most North American climates, hardy only in places where winter temperatures don't dip below 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Its small flowers are white or lavender and borne on stalks about 3 feet tall. It blooms in midsummer for about six weeks. High humidity during harvest time can make the seeds unsafe to eat. If harvested when it is too moist, mold, yeast and salmonella can grow on the seed.

Nutrients

• Chia seed is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and amino acids, especially lysine. It provides protein and fiber, as well as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, niacin and zinc. Unlike many oil-containing seeds, chia seed can be stored for long periods without becoming rancid.

Uses

• The seeds are eaten raw, like flax seed, in cereals. They also are ground to create chia meal and used in baked goods such as cakes, breads and rolls. When soaked in water, the seeds become a gelatinous mass that is commonly added to fruit juice and consumed cold as a drink called chia fresca. The soaked seeds also are used in puddings. Chia seed sprouts are used like alfalfa sprouts, on sandwiches and in salads.

Chia Pet

• Because chia seeds form a gelatinous mass when soaked, they aren't prepared as sprouts the way most seeds are. Usually, to sprout seeds such as alfalfa or mung beans, the seeds are put in jars, then soaked and rinsed regularly until they sprout. Instead chia seeds are sprouted by placing them in the grooves of porous terracotta. This growth habit fueled the early 1980s Chia Pet fad.