A story of how the chia seed caused betrayal, smuggling and a massacre

The history of chia begins with the “floating gardens” of the city of Tenochtitlan. The shallow lakes around the city had nutrient-rich soil under water. To access this fertile soil, workers would place juniper poles in the lake bed. They would then weave sticks around the posts, creating a ‘fenced’ area. Soil from the lake bed was dredged and dumped onto the prospective island. Willows were planted around the islands to give them stability.

The islands were owned by the emperor and the sacred chia seed was cultivated on them. This seed was considered divine and was not shared with the population. Instead, he was hoarded by the emperor for personal use.

Inevitably, some chia was smuggled under the emperor’s nose, and over time, chia became the most cultivated crop in Mexico, second only to corn.

The ancient Aztecs used chia in various ways. It was roasted and eaten as a snack. It was mixed with water and used as an energy drink for sports and hunting activities. It was offered to the Deity Chicome Coatl who was the ‘maker and giver’. Its oil was pressed and used as a varnish.

Chia became so prized that its status was soon elevated to a valuable commodity. Chia was exchanged for other valuable goods. It was used as currency, to pay taxes, and as an aphrodisiac. It was also buried along with the dead so that they had an offering to appease the gods.

Chia became such an important part of the way of life in ancient Mexico that the modern state of Chiapas derives its name from the sacred plant.

While the Spanish were busy conquering the Aztecs, Father Bernardino de Sahagún was busy documenting the Aztec way of life in an illustrated manuscript called the Florentine Codex. He took note of chia and how it was used in the daily life of the Aztecs. It was eaten in a wide variety of forms, given to women in labor to aid in childbirth and as a remedy for ailments.

There is an interesting story that catapulted chia seed from obscurity into modern scrutiny. Ciraldo Chacarito, a native of Tarahumara, participated in an endurance foot race in 1997. Wearing a pair of homemade sandals, he swept through most of the competition to finish in the top ten. His competitors, the best athletes from around the world with state-of-the-art footwear, were amazed at his results. How did he do it? He attributed his strength and stamina to a diet that consisted mostly of chia. The following year, using chia to help him train, he came back and won the race.

Athletes around the world are turning to chia as the best natural source of energy, stamina, and stamina. Chia is unmatched in its ability to maintain hydration, provide electrolytes, and promote recovery.

Chia has also been used for medicinal purposes. Willis Linn Jepson said that “the mission fathers valued an infusion of the seeds as a remedy for fever; the seeds also provided ‘the best poultice for gunshot wounds…’ Hahaha! Keep that in mind for next time get shot

In James F. Scheer’s fantastic book, The Magic of Chia, James tells the story of a man who looked fifty when he was actually seventy-two. He attributed his longevity to a diet consisting primarily of chia, brewer’s yeast, dried liver, yogurt, and other natural foods.

James tells another anecdote: a man is driving down a dirt road in Mexico and stops next to a jogging native. He asks if he would like a ride. “No thanks,” the native replies, “I’m in a hurry.”

Harrison Doyle, author of two books, ‘Golden Chia’ and ‘Harrison Doyle at 100: How I Sustained My Vital Electric Life Force’ lived to be 102 years old. He also attributed his longevity to chia. He spent time living with the Native Americans of southern California. Do you remember ‘The Last of the Mohicans’? Harrison was there. He witnessed firsthand how the natives used only chia seeds and water for drag races. Tribesmen filled bags with seed and took just that and water to run distances of three hundred miles to trade in copper and turquoise, arrowheads, and ocher paint. Like in the scene in the movie, when they were hunting, the natives would chase deer for hours, taking out the animals, fed on chia.

During the transformation from childhood to adulthood, the tribesmen would rub chia gel under their arms and sleep the night with their arms tied at their sides. Chia would cleanse the pores while minimizing body odor. The purpose of this was not to impress the girls but not to scare the deer off with a strong human scent.

Doyle tells a story about the Ivah tribe who lived in a small town. One year there was a drought and the neighboring Indians of Temucala came to fight them for their chia crops. Outnumbered and cornered, the Ivah were killed to a single man in an area now known as Massacre Canyon. The moral of the story: share your chia.