The Traditional Chia Seed of Mexico

Ramon Arias is a respected Birmingham, Alabama, entrepreneur who guides Bravo Corporation as president. In that role, he is tasked with oversight of a major franchise restaurant operation. Complementing his work with the Birmingham, Alabama, company, Ramon Arias has a strong interest in the sourcing of food ingredients that are grown in regions around the world.

One of the popular grains in the United States is the tiny chia seed, which was one of the core staples of the Aztec diet and has roots as a cultivated crop extending back 5,500 years. Traditionally, the grain was ground into flour and mixed into drinks, as well as pressed into oils. One of its distinct benefits was that it was compact and loaded with nutrients, which made it ideal for extended travel.

The chia seed also had medicinal uses and was incorporated into religious ceremonies, with Mayans believing that it imbued supernatural strength in those who ate it. Chia is still used as a power food by some traditional groups, such as the Tarahumara in Mexico, who hold that a mixture of lemon, water, and chia seeds, called iskiate, enhances the ability to run long distances.