Chia Tincture & Alcohol-Free Extract

Chia (Salvia hispanica) is an annual of the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala, where it was a staple crop of the Aztecs, and now grown in Mexico, Bolivia, Argentina, and Australia. It grows about a meter tall with square stems, opposite, oval, toothed leaves, and dense terminal spikes of small purple or white two-lipped flowers in late summer. Each flower sets four tiny oval seeds about 2 millimeters long, mottled grey, brown, black, and white; soaked in water they swell within minutes into a thick, clear gel coat, the basis of the Mexican drink chia fresca. We extract the dried seed.