Chia Seeds
A rendition of the 1530 battle of Chiametlan between Spanish and Aztec warriors, note the chia seed plant in the top right corner of the image. Courtesy of Washington State University Libraries Special Collections
In the 1970s and 1980s Bedford Stuyvesant had been home the East Food. As food rebels, they championed nutrition in their movements paper Black News. Long before others, they published article on chia seeds in 1973. Chia seeds are derived from the salvia plant native to the area of modern Mexico and Guatemala. Members of the ancient Aztec and Mayan empires used Chia seeds as a food ingredient making a gruel out of them. They learned that chia seed provide one with energy and endurance because they are rich in vitamin D, E, B complex and rich in potassium, copper, calcium and iodine. They are also a good source of protein. After soaking the seeds in water for several hours they take on the consistency of a pudding like slippery semi liquid substance. As such chia seeds work well as an egg substitute for cooking and baking. Try them in smoothies too. [i]
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[i] Black News, June 2, 1973
