Chia is the tiny edible seed of a flowering Mexican sage (Salvia hispanica), each speck a smooth oval mottled in black, grey, brown and white. The seeds are almost flavourless with only a faint nutty note, so their fame rests on texture and nutrition: a soluble-fibre coat lets them swell into a soft gel in liquid, and they are exceptionally rich in omega-3 ALA, fibre and plant protein, eaten raw, soaked into puddings, stirred into drinks and used as a vegan egg replacer.