HISTORY OF CHIA   

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  Chia seeds despite its new popularity, is in fact an ancient food revered by the Mayan, Aztecs and Native Americans as early as 3500 BC.

Historical records show that they prized Chia for its properties that enhanced strength, energy and endurance they needed in extreme desert conditions such as extreme heat, dryness, and shortage of food, water and medication.  

Edward Palmer, a plant explorer wrote in 1871:  “In preparing Chia for use the seeds are roasted and ground, and the addition of water makes a mucilaginous mass several times the original bulk, sugar to taste is added, and the result is the much prized semi-fluid pinole of Indians and others-to me one of the best and most nutritive foods while traveling over the deserts”. 

The American Indians would eat only Chia seed mixed with water as they ran from the Colorado River to the Pacific Ocean to carry messages. Traders carried it as an all-important part of their diet while traveling from one trading post to another. The Aztecs and Indians, when hunting, did not always have horses to chase after their prey. Instead, they stalked the animals on foot, sometimes running all day, carrying nothing but a pouch of Chia and their hunting spears. No wonder they called it the ‘running food.’ 

When the Spanish conquerors arrived in South America under the command of Hernando Cortez, their  Jesuit  chroniclers referred to Chia as the third most important crop to the Aztecs behind only corn and beans, and ahead of amaranth . They noted how chia was revered throughout society and was even used as tribute and taxes to the Aztec nobility. The Conquistadores saw that chia was an integral element in their religious and spiritual culture, as even the name itself was part of their symbol for energy and life.

This is an illustration of an ancient Aztec Temple where ceremonies were held and precious produce like chia were offered to their nobles and gods.

Because it was so fundamental an ingredient in the Aztec civilization, Cortez was convinced that to completely conquer the native people, their most fundamental practices and beliefs had to be destroyed. Chia certainly fell in that category, and what followed was a systematic campaign of burning and destruction of Chia fields. Growing Chia became illegal, with the Spaniards imposing heavy fines and severe punishments on anyone caught with the seeds in their possession.

Some chia seeds found their way to Spain, and it was there that it was mistakenly classified as a specie native to the country. Thus the Latin word for Chia: Salvia hispanica L. 

Since the wipe-out of the Aztecs, Incas, Mayas, and other South American cultures, Chia was left to grow wild, harvested and eaten only by South American locals and American Indians until the early 80s when word about a ‘super food’ began to make its way to health conscious groups.

Now, thanks to enthusiastic health-conscious marketers and the internet, Chia is a new byword amongst food scientists, agriculturists, nutritionists, botanists, and health food stores. Even athletes now take a daily dosage of Chia.

It was in 1991 when a group of American and South American scientists and agriculturists began collaborating in the commercial production of Chia in Argentina. Thus began a project, the Northerwestern Argentina Regional Project that provided growers with an alternative crop that turned out to improve people’s health.

It is now grown in South America, Central America and Australia. 

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