Quick Answer: Where Does The Word Chia Come From?

Etymology. The word “chia” is derived from the Nahuatl word chian, meaning oily. S. hispanica is one of two plants known as “chia”, the other being Salvia columbariae, which is sometimes called “golden chia”.

What does chia mean in Mayan?

Chia means “strength” in the Mayan language, and they were known as “runners food” because runners and warriors would use them as fuel while running long distances or during battle. Originally grown in Mexico, the seeds were highly valued for their medicinal properties and nutritional value.

What does chia in English mean?

chia in American English (ˈtʃiə) noun. a plant, Salvia columbariae, of the mint family, native to the southwestern U.S. and Mexico, having mostly basal, oblong leaves and small blue flowers: the seeds are used as food and as the source of a beverage. any of several similar related plants.

What does chia mean in Aztec?

Long ago, before the Spanish conquest of Latin America – and well before the Ch-ch-ch-chia Pet was born – chia seeds were a staple food, like corn and beans, in the diets of the Aztecs and Mayans. Chia actually got its name from the Mayan word for “strength.”

What language is chia?

The word “chia” comes from the Aztecan language Nahuatl (the lingua franca of Mesoamerica at the time of European contact) as well as from the Mexican Spanish “chía”, which was borrowed into English, appearing in early-1800s writings on Mexico.

Did the Aztecs eat chia?

Evidence that the Aztecs used chia appears in codices written 500 years ago. These four crops served as the basis for the Aztecs’ daily diets. Chia seeds were eaten alone, mixed with other grains, ground into flour, used in drinks, and pressed for oil to be used as body and face paints.

Is chia an ancient grain?

Chia Seed (Salvia hispanica): An Ancient Grain and a New Functional Food. Chia seed (Salvia hispanica) is an ancient oilseed used by Mayas and Aztecs as foodstuff.

What does Chia mean in Chinese?

奇亚（薄荷类植物） [ U ] (also chia seeds [ plural ]) the seeds of the chia plant, eaten as food.

What does Chia mean in Korean?

치아 = chia. 씨드 = seed/seeds.

Did the Aztecs eat meat?

Meat was eaten sparsely; the Aztec diet was primarily vegetarian with the exception of grasshoppers, maguey worms, ants and other larvae. Even now, some of these insects are considered delicacies in parts of Mexico.

How did Native Americans use chia seeds?

Aztec warriors ate chia seeds to give them energy and endurance. Chia grew wild and was a prized harvest used as currency to pay taxes and religious alms and to settle debts with conquering tribes.

What is Hindi name for chia seeds?

In India people know about sabja as they are added to a popular drink falooda. The sweet basil seeds do resemble the chia seeds and is known by the names Sabja seeds or falooda seeds or tukmaria in India.

Is it pronounced chi or Chia?

Chai ( “ch-eye”; rhymes with guy, fly, why) is a proper noun. It is the name of a very popular tea in India featuring aromatic spices: cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and ginger. Chia (“chee-uh”; rhymes with Mia, Kia) has multiple meanings.

Are Chia flowers edible?

chia, (Salvia hispanica), also called Mexican chia or salba chia, species of flowering plant in the mint family (Lamiaceae), grown for its edible seeds. The plant bears spikes of small blue, purple, or white flowers that have a high rate of self-pollination.