For centuries, chia seeds were used as food by the people of the west and of
southern Mexico, besides being provided as a tribute in Mexico (Cahill 2003). For
the Aztecs, chia was offered to the gods during religious ceremonies; however, this
custom disappeared about 500 years after the conquest of the territory by the
Spaniards, who eventually replaced chia with their favorite cultures, brought from
Europe (Ayerza and Coates 2005).
The consumption of chia is considered limited and regional, due to the lack of
information on the characteristics of the seed, high retail price, low availability, and
consumption (Olivos-Lugo et al. 2010). In Brazil, the difficulties are concentrated by
the producers due to the lack of knowledge about the harvesting of the seeds and
their commercialization, which is a culture little explored in the country. Thus, the
destination of the seeds ends up being the supply of markets and stores of natural
products (Migliavacca et al. 2014).
The use of the chia seed in the religious ceremonies of the Aztecs and the Mayas
provoked the wrath of the Spanish Catholics who saw a pagan ritual. With this, its
cultivation was extinguished by centuries and was only resumed in the early 1990s.
As of 2011, chia seed has been gaining popularity as a food, where more than
72 products based on this grain have reached the global market in the form of snacks,
seasonings, yogurts, bakery products, etc. (Everitt 2016). According to one of the
world’s leading market research agencies, the consumption of chia seed has
increased by 118% between 2012 and 2015, with a 70% increase in the launch of
new products in the food and beverage sector (Benzi 2016).
11.2 Production
Chia seed is cultivated mainly in Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and
Guatemala. In Argentina, mainly in the north of the country, in the provinces of Salta
and Jujuy, this culture has become a very important economic activity (Martínez
et al. 2012). The largest production center is located in Mexico, which currently
exports seeds to several countries such as Japan, the USA, and Europe.
The average crop yields are around 500–600 kg ha
À1 although some producers
have obtained yields of up to 1200 kg ha
À1 (Coates 2011). In Brazil, this seed is
grown in the regions of western Paranaense and northwest of Rio Grande do Sul,
with a yield of up to 800 kg ha
À1 in May and 200–300 kg ha
À1 in August
(Migliavacca et al. 2014).
Baginsky et al. (2016) studied different regions of Chile for the cultivation of chia
seed. These authors related that the Valle de Azapa (coastal deserts) and Canchones
(normal desert climates) provide the best conditions for chia production under the
conditions of the study. Among these two regions, the Valle de Azapa was more
prominent for cultivation, due to the lower thermal oscillation, extreme temperatures,
and freezing throughout the harvest, and it can produce, between mid-February and
mid-March, yields over 2000 kg ha
À1
, oil content above 550 L ha
À1
, and α-linolenic
acid content and linoleic acid above 350 and 90 L ha
À1
, respectively.
286
S. S. Fernandes et al.
southern Mexico, besides being provided as a tribute in Mexico (Cahill 2003). For
the Aztecs, chia was offered to the gods during religious ceremonies; however, this
custom disappeared about 500 years after the conquest of the territory by the
Spaniards, who eventually replaced chia with their favorite cultures, brought from
Europe (Ayerza and Coates 2005).
The consumption of chia is considered limited and regional, due to the lack of
information on the characteristics of the seed, high retail price, low availability, and
consumption (Olivos-Lugo et al. 2010). In Brazil, the difficulties are concentrated by
the producers due to the lack of knowledge about the harvesting of the seeds and
their commercialization, which is a culture little explored in the country. Thus, the
destination of the seeds ends up being the supply of markets and stores of natural
products (Migliavacca et al. 2014).
The use of the chia seed in the religious ceremonies of the Aztecs and the Mayas
provoked the wrath of the Spanish Catholics who saw a pagan ritual. With this, its
cultivation was extinguished by centuries and was only resumed in the early 1990s.
As of 2011, chia seed has been gaining popularity as a food, where more than
72 products based on this grain have reached the global market in the form of snacks,
seasonings, yogurts, bakery products, etc. (Everitt 2016). According to one of the
world’s leading market research agencies, the consumption of chia seed has
increased by 118% between 2012 and 2015, with a 70% increase in the launch of
new products in the food and beverage sector (Benzi 2016).
11.2 Production
Chia seed is cultivated mainly in Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and
Guatemala. In Argentina, mainly in the north of the country, in the provinces of Salta
and Jujuy, this culture has become a very important economic activity (Martínez
et al. 2012). The largest production center is located in Mexico, which currently
exports seeds to several countries such as Japan, the USA, and Europe.
The average crop yields are around 500–600 kg ha
À1 although some producers
have obtained yields of up to 1200 kg ha
À1 (Coates 2011). In Brazil, this seed is
grown in the regions of western Paranaense and northwest of Rio Grande do Sul,
with a yield of up to 800 kg ha
À1 in May and 200–300 kg ha
À1 in August
(Migliavacca et al. 2014).
Baginsky et al. (2016) studied different regions of Chile for the cultivation of chia
seed. These authors related that the Valle de Azapa (coastal deserts) and Canchones
(normal desert climates) provide the best conditions for chia production under the
conditions of the study. Among these two regions, the Valle de Azapa was more
prominent for cultivation, due to the lower thermal oscillation, extreme temperatures,
and freezing throughout the harvest, and it can produce, between mid-February and
mid-March, yields over 2000 kg ha
À1
, oil content above 550 L ha
À1
, and α-linolenic
acid content and linoleic acid above 350 and 90 L ha
À1
, respectively.
286
S. S. Fernandes et al.