|
 |
| Salvia hispanica photo - Christian Froissart Chia Seeds photo - Wikipedia |
Here you see the chia plant (Salvia hispanica) and a blown up picture of the seeds.
Obviously, someone kept growing them since we have them today.
These chia seeds are actually about the size of a pin head. From this picture you can see the detail and variety of the seeds from one crop.
Who Brought this Superfood Back?
A small group decided to bring back a few of the lost foods of this era which included chia seeds. A project was started called the Northwestern Argentina Regional Project."The project started in 1991 with an agreement between Partners of the Americas Inc., a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington DC, and Agropecuaria El Valle S.A., an agricultural enterprise with offices in Buenos Aires and Catamarca, Argentina.
"This technical cooperation was made possible through the Farmer to Farmer program, financed by the Congress of the United States as a part of the 1990-95 Farm Bill (Public Law 480), and the Agency for International Development (USAID)."
- Reference: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1996/v3-045.html
Not All Chia Are the Same
I have known about them for many years but the kind I was buying didn't seem to do much for me. At least I couldn't tell that they did anything. I had added them to my diet because I was wanting to eat as much of a variety of foods as I could find. I would keep a small supply on hand and add them to my meals now and then.So What Changed?
As far as I can tell, they weren't grown properly. For the last couple of years, I have been looking for foods outside the normal health food stores. I am very picky about what I buy and I found a particular brand that was marketed as a super food.I found out they were produced on a farm under the guidance of Wayne Coates. He and a person named Ricardo Ayerza had worked with the Northwestern Argentina Regional Project, focusing on research and development to commercialize them. You can learn more about this by going to http://www.eatchia.com where you'll find a wealth of information.
From what I've read, there were particular growing conditions and locations required for the best results. So I am guessing this is why some are better than others.
What I Have Personally Experienced
We have two websites, each serving a different purpose. This site is educational. The other, Arkadia's Choice, is our product review site. You will find our personal experience with chia seeds there along with other products and companies we have reviewed.References
- http://www.eatchia.com
- http://wwwl.wikipedia.com
- http://www.robinssalvias.com/gallery23.shtm
- http://www.hort.purdue.edu/
newcrop/proceedings1996/v3-045.html
Please feel free to email me if you have questions or comments. I am always happy to respond.
Go to the Natural Healthy Eating Home Page from Chia Seeds
