The Chia / Lembas Theory
Similarities
| Lembas | Chia |
|---|---|
| Lembas is made from "Corn of Yavanna" a grain of some sort, not necessarily maize. The word corn is used to describe many grains of the Old World. | Chia seeds grow on tall stalks and could be called grain. The plants grow as thick as grass in a field when cultivated. They can be cut, threshed and winnowed like flax or wheat. |
| Lembas is said to be made of a wheat meal. | Chia/lembas would not be made entirely of chia, but wheat with a bit of chia added. "Some mix Chia meal with ground wheat, imparting to the latter a delicate, nut-like flavor." |
| If it was sown at any season, save in frost, it soon sprouted and grew swiftly | I'm not sure about the growing habits of chia. More info later. |
| One wafer will keep a traveller on his feet for a day of long labour, even if it be one of the tall Men of Minas Tirith. | It was used by the Aztecs for forced marches, as little as 1 Tablespoon for 24 hours. |
| Those that were hurt or sick he tended, and gave to them the lembas of Melian; and they were quickly healed. | An infusion of the seeds was valued by Spanish Missionaries as a fever remedy and as a poultice for gunshot wounds. The seeds were also used to cleanse the eyes, as a poultice for wounds, and as ceremonial offerings. |
Differences
| Lembas | Chia |
|---|---|
| Yavanna's corn has "great golden ears" | Chia heads are decidedly purple (pictures) |
| Lembas wafers described as "crisp" | The mucilaginous character of Chia disposes the mixture to gumminess. |
| The hobbits each ate two or three pieces. The taste brought back to them the memory of fair faces, and laughter, and wholesome food in quiet days now far away. | Unfortunately, Chia does no such thing. I don't know of anything that does do this, any suggestions are welcome. |
Other Chia Facts
Varying ideas on how to use chia-
- The parched seeds of the Chia were ground to make the staple flour, pinole.
- Chia was ground then dried into cakes and eaten.
- Chia can be added to water and let soak for a few minutes, forming a gel
- You can add chia gel to most anything, from stir fry to an egg substitute
A site suggested using a shelf-top coffee bean grinder to make the seeds more "floury"
I made two batches, one with the chia ground up and the other not- both were fine, I barely noticed the little crunchies
Links
Chia: The Ancient Seed of the Future A scientific explanation on how chia works
Chia Botany
Chia Interview (this has a cool story in it!)
Native American Uses of Chia
Chia Pictures
Chia Distribution Map
Menu 4 Life (the most in-depth chia site I've run across so far)
The Magic of Chia (Amazon.com link)
