Vegan - Vegetarian RecipesChia Seed - Ingredients Descriptions and Photos
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Ingredients Descriptions and Photos
Chia Seed

Chia Seed
(Chia Seed) Chia seed, scientificly known as Salvia hispanica, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala. It is considered a pseudocereal. It is cultivated for its edible, hydrophilic chia seed, a food rich in omega-3 fatty acids; howeven, chia seeds are much more expensive than flax seeds, which are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids. The actual size of the individual chia seeds are about 1 mm. in length.  Chia seed is grown and commonly used as food in several countries of western South America, western Mexico, and the southwestern United States.

Chia Seed

Scientific Name:  Salvia hispanica
Carbohydrate Factor: 4.07   Fat Factor:8.37   Protein Factor: 3.47   Nitrogen to Protein Conversion Factor: 5.3  

Sources of Data

1R. Ayerza, Wayne Coates An omega-3 fatty acid enriched chia diet: Influence on egg fatty acid composition, cholesterol and oil content , 1999 Canadian Journal of Animal Science 79   pp.53-58
2R. Ayerza, Wayne Coates Some quality components of four chia (Salvia hispanica L.) genotypes grown under tropical coastal desert ecosystem conditions , 2009 Asian J Plant Sci 8 4   pp.301-307
3R. Ayerza, Wayne Coates Influence of environment on growing period and yield, protein, oil and a-linolenic content of three chia (Salvia hispanica L.) selections , 2009 Industrial Crops and Products 30   pp.321-324
4R. Ayerza, Wayne Coates Composition of chia (Salvia hispanica) grown in six tropical and subtropical ecosystems of South America , 2004 Tropical Science 44   pp.131-135
5Ministry of Public Health Analysis of Salvia hispanica chia seed , 2003    
6B. Heuer Effect of late salinization of chia (Salvia hispanica), stock (Matthiola tricuspidata) and evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) on their oil content and quality , 2002 Industrial Crops and Products 15   pp.163-167
7R. Ayerza, Wayne Coates Seed yield, oil content and fatty acid composition of three botanical sources of +-3 fatty acid planted in the Yungas ecosystem of tropical Argentina , 2008 Tropical Science 47 4   pp.183-187
8AZChia Personal communication with Wayne Coates, PhD of AZChia, professor emeritus at U Arizona , 2011    
Langual Code(s)

  • A0305 SEED OR SEED PRODUCT (US CFR)
  • A1282 1200 NUT AND SEED PRODUCTS (USDA SR)
  • B1723 CHIA
  • C0155 SEED
  • E0150 WHOLE, NATURAL SHAPE
  • F0001 EXTENT OF HEAT TREATMENT NOT KNOWN
  • G0003 COOKING METHOD NOT APPLICABLE
  • H0138 WATER REMOVED
  • J0116 DEHYDRATED OR DRIED
  • K0003 NO PACKING MEDIUM USED
  • M0001 CONTAINER OR WRAPPING NOT KNOWN
  • N0001 FOOD CONTACT SURFACE NOT KNOWN
  • P0024 HUMAN FOOD, NO AGE SPECIFICATION

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Vegan FlagThe above recipe is in keeping with God's creation intent (Genesis 1:29-31): 'Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground-- everything that has the breath of life in it-- I give every green plant for food." And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.' (NIV) Let no animal suffer or die that we may live!