Regular users of chia know that the best way to eat chia is to let it soak first. Chia forms a gel when soaked. This gel is responsible for allowing the chia to provide the user a constant flow of energy. Also chia tends to blend in more stealthily in beverage preparations when gelled, because the gel takes on the flavor of whatever liquid the chia is in!

 

Chia takes a while to gel. 15 minutes is okay. But if you want it to produce the maximum amount of gel, give it 30 minutes at room temperature. If it's fairly cold, give it 45 minutes to an hour. 

 

While patience is a virtue, sometimes we just don't have the an hour or even 15 minutes. What some people do is they pre-soak the chia and store it in the fridge. In refrigeration, chia gel lasts up to two weeks. That works. But i do something even better...

 

The first step to pre-soak the chia at room temperature for 45 minutes to an hour. About 1 tablespoon of chia for every 1.5 cup of water. You can prepare as much to fill up 3/4 of the capacity of your blender. Fill the blender with water first before you add the chia seeds. If you do it the other way around, chia seeds will stick under the blade and will not get processed later one. Stir once or twice while waiting to break up clumps and to make sure all seeds get soaked. 

 

When the chia has completely gelled up, run the blender until you have a smooth cream, with little to no whole seeds visible. The content volume will have increased, which is why you only fill the blender 3/4 full early on. This is your chia slurry. Also note the color change: black chia seeds produce a cream colored slurry. The white chia seeds produce an even lighter colored slurry.

 

This is great for replacing eggs as a binder, or for use as a thickening agent (it becomes the healthier version of whatever it replaces). It's both gelled and crushed, which is more beneficial than dry and whole. Also, since it's crushed, it's harder to see when mixed in wet food preparations or beverages - which makes it great for picky eaters.

 

The next step now is to pour the slurry into ice trays and then... freeze it! Whereas refrigeration only allows chia gel or chia slurry to last 2 weeks, freezing it will allow it to last a much longer time. First time i did this i got carried away and prepared too much. I made a batch that lasted me two months in the freezer. After 8 weeks, it was still good as fresh!

 

You will love how convenient chia ice cubes are. When you're in a rush, you can just throw some into the blender with some milk and fruits for a quick smoothie. Or you can make iced coffee using the chia ice cubes!

 

A great idea for the kids is to soak the chia in flavored water, or better yet some fresh fruit juice. Fill the ice trays with the flavored chia slurry, cover it with saran wrap and stick short Popsicle sticks in the middle of each slot. Freeze then serve as mini popsicles. This is a fun way for them to get their Omega 3!!

 

What do you do with your chia? If you've got a cool idea you'd like to share it with other customers, email it to me at david@hidalgofoods.com

 

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Regardless of popular belief, coca leaf tea is actually good for you. Yes, coca leaf - responsible for the additive drug we know as cocaine. Sadly, due to the ignorance towards South American cultures, stigmatization of the coca plant, and straight-up propaganda against this amazing plant, people are left scared and unable to experience the benefits that the coca leaf has to offer. But for those of us who know better, here are 4 interesting facts!

1.  Coca tea increases the amount of oxygen in your blood, allowing you to travel to high altitudes. In Argentina, it's very mountainous, so it's important to use coca leaves when traveling to higher regions above sea level. A bit of history: when the Spaniards conquered Argentina, they couldn't understand why the natives had large heaps of green leaves in their mouths while working in the mountains. Since they didn't understand it, they passed laws to make coca leaves illegal to chew. Shortly, they noticed a sharp decrease in production (they were forced to work) and in time, they realized it was because the natives were now weaker and had less energy to work because they were no longer "chewing on the green leaves."   
   
    
2. Coca  tea a mild stimulant, like coffee, but better. Why better? Because coca leaves provide your body with all sort of vitamins and nutrients like: calcium, phosphorous, iron, potassium, magnesium, sodium, ascorbic acid, etc. and vitamins A, C and E. Current research is also saying that "the coca leaf contains more proteins (19.9 per cent) than meat (19.4 per cent) and far more calcium (2,191 per cent) than condensed milk, and that it is richer in vitamin B-1 (276 per cent) than fresh carrots.
   
   "In spite of coca being persecuted for being the raw material of cocaine, scientists discovered that the sap in its leaves contains more than ten different alkaloid substances, and that cocaine strictly speaking amounts to less than 1% of that total. According to pharmacological studies carried out at the University of Caldas, Colombia, if consumed in its natural form, the leaf is not toxic and doesn't produce dependency. It acts like a mild stimulant, improving attention and the coordination of ideas, akin to concentrated coffee." - University of Caldas, Colombia       
3. Coca tea is also used to prevent the absorption of alcohol. Put simply, if you drink a two to three concentrated cups of tea (2-3 tea bags per serving), you're going to be able to drink a lot without getting totally wasted and having a nasty hangover the next day. Pretty sweet, eh?
   
    
4. Coca tea curb your appetite. This is good for all you people on a diet or trying to lose weight. You may want to give coca tea a shot instead of popping all those poisonous diet pills advertised left and right.

Order some Coca Tea and invite your friends to a Coca Tea party! Click here to buy now!