Hey It's Jen Lou

Chia seeds are a hit-or-miss at my house. I have one kiddo who absolutely adores chia pudding and those chia squeeze pouches. I also have another child who despises them. Either way, we continue to keep them around because I accidentally ordered them in bulk and now we have too much. Just kidding. Well despite that being true, chia seeds are considered a superfood, loaded with antioxidants, omega 3’s, and fiber. This seed hails from Mexico and is touted to be one of the main sources of energy of ancient Mexican runners. My husband says that the Aztec emperor had his fish delivered fresh daily from the sea by such runners. That’s 398 kilometers one way. Ancient Mexican runners eat their corn tortillas with chia seeds added to them and drink chia frescas as part of their daily diet.

When I was a kid, we didn’t see chia seeds as food, but as a fun way to STEM. Remember those chia seed pets sold on TV? I think I may have had a Mr. Potatohead chia pet. These days, we see them packaged up nicely in bottles, pouches or in granola bar singles and sold for five times the price (and usually with a hefty serving of sugar!). 

My suan mei tang recipe is a great way to add chias to your diet. Suan Mei Tang also has medicinal benefits, and TCM practitioners believe this is a way to reduce heat in your body. Often served in the summer, I brought it up in January (late, nonetheless) because in the US, where I live, Dry January is a common practice. In addition, the general surgeon just released studies that show cancer is directly linked to alcohol consumption.  I don’t condemn drinking (my husband and I like a drink from time to time), but it’s always good to know there are options to refresh without the buzz!

Suan Mei Tang (酸梅汤) Chia Fresca

Serves: 4-6 

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

5 cups water

4 tbsp hibiscus

1 cup hawthorn

¼ cup plum

1 thumb sized (30-35 g) knob of ginger, cut into thick slices

⅓ cup honey

2 ½ tbsp chia seeds

Club soda, for serving

Ice, for serving, optional

Instructions.

Boil water in a large pot. While waiting for the water, rinse hawthorne and plums.

When the water comes to a rolling boil, turn off the stove and add hibiscus, hawthorn, plum, and ginger.  

After 10 minutes, discard ginger. Return pot to the stove on low-medium heat and simmer for one hour. 

Turn off the stove, add honey and stir until well combined.  

Allow to fully cool before straining and adding chia seeds. Stir until chia seeds are no longer clumped together. Refrigerate to store. Serve with club soda and ice, if desired.