Description
Description: Chia seed is obtained most commonly from Salvia hispanica of the Lamiaceae family. Other plants referred to as "chia" include "golden chia" (Salvia columbariae) and the flowering herbaceous perennial Salvia polystachya, which is rarely cultivated and the seeds are not used.
The seeds of Salvia columbariae are used medicinally and for food. Typically, chia seeds are small ovals with a diameter of approximately 1 mm (0.039 in). They are mottle-colored with brown, gray, black, and white.
The seeds are hydrophilic, absorbing up to 12 times their weight in liquid when soaked. While soaking, the seeds develop a mucilaginous coating that gives chia-based beverages a distinctive gel texture.
Botanical Name: Salvia hispanica
Common names: Kiosmina hispanica (L.) Raf, Salvia chia Colla, Salvia chia Sessé & Moc. nom. Illeg
Medicinal Part: Seeds