Thursday 26 April 2012

Chia (Salvia hispanica)

Chia (Salvia hispanica), also known as Mexican chia or salba, has a long history of use in South America and was a major food crop in pre-Columbian civilisations, particularly favoured by the Aztecs. There are actually over 60 different varieties and other species such as golden chia (S. columbariae) are grown and used in a similar way.

Chia (S. hispanica) growing in Kent

























Health benefits

Chia comes from the Mayan word meaning 'something that makes you strong' and the health benefits of this plant have been known for a very long time. Chia seeds are gluten-free and contain essential fatty acids (including omega-3), protein, antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals and fibre. Chia are known to stabilise blood sugar levels as well as reduce cholesterol and blood pressure.

Growing Chia

Chia is an annual herbaceous plant growing to over a metre in height. Plants can be sown in March or April (now!) under cover and seeds should germinate within a couple of weeks. Chia can also be sown in the ground outside in May but this may reduce the chances of them flowering and setting seed (they may not anyway). Plants produce a prolific amount of leaves and should flower between July and August. They are frost tender and prefer a dry sunny position in the garden with just enough, but not too much, water. In the wild chia have adapted well to arid conditions and areas of low soil fertility. Chia is also known as a 'fire following' plant and thrives after foliage in the growing area has been burnt down.

Our seeds were raw and organic from a raw food supplier (can't remember which one) and were sown in March in pots and planted out amongst the water hungry cucumbers (not a good idea in hindsight) just after the last frosts. Plants were quite fragile and side stems broke off easily particularly during windy weather. In the end, the main stem had to be heavily staked and tied to stop it falling over. They did not flower (groan!) so we didn't obtain any seeds. This is really what we wanted and so were very disappointed. On the plus side these plants produce a massive amount of leaves, which have their own health benefits.

Possible problems

If harvesting seeds, care should be taken. Chia seeds are prone to absorb moisture. If this happens mould, yeast and salmonella can form inside the seed and be a possible health hazard. Commercial seeds are tested for safety. Home growers don't normally test for anything so this could be an issue.

To grow or not to grow

In conclusion, chia are easy to grow but will probably not produce flowers and set seed outside the sub-tropics. In the temperate climate of the British Isles we might get lucky if we start them off early indoors and we have a long hot summer (not looking very promising so far). However, the leaves (of which there are many) have their own health benefits and can be used fresh or dried to make a herbal tea.

Raw edible parts

Raw edible parts include the seeds which are mucilaginous and can be soaked to make a make a drink called 'fresca' or a dessert/porridge. They absorb many times their weight in water and soaked seeds can be very refreshing during hot weather. Seeds can also be eaten raw (like hemp seed) or sprouted. They can be used instead of (or with) flax seeds to make crispy raw crackers and breads. Chia seeds don't need to be ground down for digestion like flax seeds. The fresh or dried leaves can be made into a beneficial herbal tea.

39 comments:

  1. Cool history of Chia - I never knew that the Mayan word for it meant "something that makes you strong" ! thats awesome . I have been eating Mila a blend of the best chia for 2 years. Being an athlete, my strength, stamina and speed has increased in a major way! Go Chia!!!

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    1. Good sharing, chia seeds are one of the world’s richest source of plant-based Omega-3s, and it is known to deliver the Omega-3 which is equivalent to 275g of wild salmon in just two tablespoons. For detail visit:
      http://kidbuxblog.com/chia-seeds-for-heart-health/




      Best Regards,
      Split Queen Box Springs or split queen box spring

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    2. CHIAN = oily, not "strong making"
      By the way, i collect exotic sageplants and so have chia too. (It will grow in spring). Of course the plant is annual and will die after producing seeds, so i will make more plants. And have a fun idea..... Put 2 chia seeds in a pot at end of summmer, i bet it will survive to next year because annual plants live 1 year more, if not able to reproduce

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  2. Ever heard of the word Chi?

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  3. The word Chi is known in several forms. Tai chi, for example and Chi, representing one's personal energy. Language moves around the world, like seeds.

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  4. There are words that really have to do with each other and coincidences, happenstance.

    In this case, chia (from Aztec for "oily" and tai ji (also spelled tai chi) or qi (also spelled chi) like in qi gong are not related, just coincidences based on English spelling of Chinese words.

    A good example of a true connection might be Narangi in Hindi and Naranja in Spanish for the fruit "orange" (technically also orange in English, which used to be spelled "norange", but no one knew if it was "a norange" or "an orange" and the latter stuck.

    Sorry for the soap box, just was looking for info on eating chia leaves and got side tracked.

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  5. Useful information. I sprouted some chia seeds and threw some out into the garden. They grew really well and were beautiful but I didn't know what (if anything) I could do with the leaves. Thanks!

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  6. chia plant and jute plant, are they the same ? they certainly look the same....

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  7. "Chia are known to stabilise blood sugar levels as well as reduce cholesterol and blood pressure." Not true. The research on the medical benefits of chia is very sparse and inconclusive. Don't parrot things just because someone told you.

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    Replies
    1. ask yourself why people have been consuming the plant for millennia

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    2. The 'It must be true because people have done it for ages' or 'because lots of people think so' fallacy. One of the basics errors taught in logical thinking.

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    3. Chia is a great source of fiber, and fiber helps reduce cholesterol and helps with blood pressure. Therefore, chia seeds can help reduce cholesterol and blood pressure. Obviously this isn't medical advice to eat as much as you can-- if you have medical concerns, go ask your doctor. but in general, fiber has those benefits, and chia seeds are a source of that.

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  8. My family grew up drinking a sugar water mixed with Chia just because it was good. We never knew it had health benefits until a few years ago. We are originally from Costa Rica, we call it "Chan" in stead of "Chia" so we never knew it was available here in California. One day I noticed a package at Costco and the pic looked familiar. Googled it and was happy to know it was the same thing. I've been back to drinking it with water minus the sugar. I drink more water than ever before. I love "Chia" also known as "Chan" to Costa Ricans ��

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  9. Tukmaria is related, also has mucilage on the seeds (you notice as you chew!). Some I bought from a grocer's haven't germinated though, so even less progress than your non-flowering chia!

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  10. Thaks members for sharing . L'mhearig chia forthe first time, but have follen for it so lets go chia.

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  11. Why did my chia not flower the plants are now 7 months old and 12 ft tall . They get full sun all day ??
    I live in Sonoma Ca .

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    1. Hi! I live in Sonoma too (Coverdale) and want to grow Chia. Did your ever flower??

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    2. Maybe you are missing a pollinator? Dont know what it is for chia. .

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  12. We don't really know. However, flowering is dependent upon the length of daylight hours. From what we have read they can also take longer than 7 months to produce flowers. They may still flower and set seed!

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  13. I live in miami. I planted some chia seeds and the plant is super green. Im not inro tee but I love green juices. And what to use it in my salads

    Can I use the stem and the leaves for juicing?. I dont find information on how to take care of
    it. It look like my basil plant. Do I have to trim it often and avoid flowers,,?
    ( with basil i avoid flowers so the leaves dont become.bitter.

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    1. We don't have any information specifically about juicing any parts of the plant although we have heard of people juicing the leaves and coming to no harm! Chia plants grow vigorously producing lots of leaves and we would suggest letting it grow naturally rather than cutting it back. You will not suffer from a lack of leaves by doing this.

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    2. salvias (officinalis,elegans,sclarea,apiana,hispanica,divinorum) are safe aspecially if we do know that they have been used since humanity arose

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    3. it seems like long ago I read all members of the mint family are edible.

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  14. I planted chia seeds in my vegetable garden here in Pennsylvania ---just out of curiosity--and now I have hundreds of plants about 18 inches tall. Can I cook and eat the leaves? Would there be any harm?

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  15. I will be adding chia seeds and plants to my green juice regimen. Check out this great video on juicing wheatgrass and barleygrass: https://youtu.be/LV5nWtjIb88

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  16. Can we eat the green leaves or put them in salad

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    1. There was some anecdotal evidence of people eating raw chia leaves. However, we couldn't find any reliable reference to eating it this way so we haven't listed it. There may well be people safely eating it in salads somewhere, or not! We just don't have enough information.

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  17. I accidentally grew chia plants when I washed out my smoothie container into the strawberry patch. It took a while to figure out what the plants were and in the end I only found out because my daughter had sown some in her garden. Talk about coincidence!
    I live in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney Australia and my chia plants flowered. The flowers are not unlike lavender spikes and I harvested a small amount of seed. I came across this post while searching for uses for the leaves of the chia plant.
    Mine has self sown this year (it's spring here), and I'm now concerned about it become weedy. I haven't tried it in salads but will now give it a go.
    I also grow amaranth successfully which also self sows and I tried some of the leaves wilted in a salad yesterday. I like the flavour of the amaranth leaves.

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    1. How do you eat the leaves?

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    2. I've never eaten the leaves.

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    3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    4. I've never eaten the leaves but others have suggested using them in salads.

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  18. Thanks for the tips and these postings,,
    chia seeds

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  19. The beverage you make with chia is called Chia Fresca, which is sort of a lime-ade with the seeds in it.
    PINOLE however is NOT made from or with chia. It's a powder made from roasted corn. It is used to make a shake like milk beverage and also in desserts. Although it's very rich and delicious all you really get from it is fiber and carbs I guess, none of the benefits you'd get from chia. Pinole is also a food that cannot be consumed raw just like most grains. A correction on your text is needed, as not all people take the time to read the comments.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Kattya. Thanks very much for the correction.

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  20. Have been eating my own chia leaves for nearly 5 years. Mix in salad on sandwich. Nothing better than handfull fresh organic greens

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  21. Anyone know the benefits of the chia flowers (other than the seeds they provide)? I use seeds and leaves in pasta and pesto sauces.

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  22. Does anyone know if chia plants are safe planted for horses to forage

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  23. Chia Seeds Are An Excellent Natural Source Of Numerous Health Benefits. They Contain Many Essential Nutrients, Including Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Dietary Fiber, Antioxidants, Protein, And More.10 dry fruits

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