From the Aztecs and Mayas to us
CHIAN: langage mayan "chian" meaning "energizer, fortifier"
Pre-Colombian civilizations used Chia seeds as raw material for the preparation of medicines, nutritional blends, even paints. It was one of the main crops used by pre-Colombian societies, second only to corn and beans in significance. At the time of the Spanish conquest, there were at least 20 botanic species in Mesoamerica used for domestic purposes. Four of these were outstanding from a nutritional standpoint: amaranth, beans, Chia and corn. These four elements formed the basic components of daily diet. It is worth noting that the diet of ancient Aztecs was based exclusively on these grains; furthermore, it totally complied with present-day dietary requirements, as determined by the Food and Agriculture Organization-World Health Organization (FAO-WHO).
Chia seeds were consumed as food mixed with other crops, as a beverage mixed with water, blended with flour, and used in medicines; it was even pressed to obtain oil that was then used as a component for body and facial paint. Chia seeds were given to the Aztecs by their conquered peoples as a tribute, and in turn were offered by them to the gods as part of their religious rites.
Chia was a central dietary component not only to Aztecs, but also to that other great pre-Colombian civilization in Mesoamerica: the Mayas. Today’s Chiapas State, in Mexico, located in what was formerly Mayan territory, owes its name to the nahautl word ‘Chiapan’, which means ‘Chia River’. This indicates that Chia was grown in this area since ancient times.
Chia seeds are still consumed today in many American communities. It is used by Aztec and Maya descendents to prepare a popular beverage called “Fresh Chia”. Mixed with lemonade, it makes a refreshing drink consumed today both in Mexico and in Guatemala, Nicaragua and Southwestern U.S.
The Spanish conquerors repressed the natives, eliminating their traditions, and destroying most of their intensive agricultural production and trade system. Many of the crops that made up pre-Colombian Americans’ core diet were eliminated by the Spaniards because of their close association with religion, and replaced with foreign species (wheat, barley, carrots, etc.) that were in great demand among the conquerors. Five hundred years later, modern science has concluded that pre-Colombian diets were far superior to the ones consumed today in the same region.
Florentine Codex – General History of the Things of New Spain – Fray Bernardino de Sahagún
After being forced into oblivion, today Chia offers the world a new opportunity to improve human nutrition, providing a natural source of Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and dietetic fiber.
Modern science is now able to explain why the diet of ancient civilizations included Chia as a basic staple. Both its chemical composition and nutritional value represent an enormous potential for the food and industrial markets. Thus, technological information is providing an excellent opportunity for an agricultural industry that can offer the world’s markets a product that is "new and old at the same time”
