Cheap Chia Seeds in NYC

Chia? As in, "Ch-ch-ch-chia"? Yup, that's exactly what I'm talking about. Chia seeds, like flax seeds, are high in protein, essential fatty acids, and fiber. Unlike flax, you don't need to grind chia in order to digest it and reap the benefits. I never substitute chia for flax because flax is a lot cheaper, but there is one thing chia does that flax won't do:

You can make a pudding out of chia seeds which is kind of like tapioca pudding. It's tasty, filling, nutritious, and easy to make.

Lazy Pudding:

• 4 Tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 cup of milk. The chia seeds don't have much flavor, so you will want to choose a milk that tastes really good on its own. (My favorite is almond milk.)
• Sweetener of your choice (I've been using maple syrup).

Stir well so all the seeds are wet, and let thicken for at least a half hour stirring every 10 minutes (the longer, the better, and overnight will give you the thickest result). Add sweetener to taste.

You can flavor the pudding with any spices and toppings you want. Here are some ways I've made it:

• Dash of cinnamon, dash of nutmeg, little splash of vanilla extract.
• Dash of cardamom, sprinkle of crushed almonds or pistachios, little splash of vanilla extract. Tastes like kheer (Indian rice pudding). I think a tiny splash of rosewater would be nice in it too.
• Sliced fresh strawberries.

Chia pudding travels well. Just throw the ingredients into a jar (gee I really have a thing for glass jars, don't I?), shake, and go on your way, shaking it a couple more times before eating. The pudding will set by the time you get wherever you're going. For breakfast, you can stir it up the night before and when you wake up the pudding will be set very thick.

You can get cheap chia seeds in NYC, at Perelandra (175 Remsen Street in Brooklyn Heights), which has organic chia seeds in the bulk section for about $6.50/lb (which is almost half the price than packaged ones in any store or online). A little goes a very long way. One pound of chia will make about 15 one-cup servings of chia pudding.

Have you ever used chia seeds? What do you do with them?


Vegan on a Shoestring