Chia seeds are the edible seeds of Salvia hispanica, a flowering plant in the sage family (Lamiaceae) native to central and southern Mexico. The seeds are hydrophilic, absorbing up to 12 times their weight in liquid when soaked and developing a mucilaginous coating that gives chia-based foods and beverages a distinctive gel texture. There is evidence that the crop was widely cultivated by the Aztecs in pre-Columbian times and was a staple food for Mesoamerican cultures. Chia seeds deliver a massive amount of nutrients with very few calories, being a source of fiber, antioxidants, protein, zinc, vitamin B3 (niacin), potassium, vitamin B1 (thiamine) and vitamin B2.