Today, we would like to introduce chia seeds, a famous superfood.
What are chia seeds?
Chia seeds are the seeds of the mint family, which is native to Mexico and Central America, especially Mexico and Guatemala. They come in a variety of colors, including brown, gray, white, and black, and are about 1 mm in size like sesame seeds and oval in shape.
There are two common types of chia seeds: black and white. White chia seeds have a higher expansion rate when soaked in water, and they swell up a lot. Some people may find them a little grotesque, resembling tadpole eggs when soaked in water, but they have almost no flavor, a texture similar to sesame seeds, and are odorless.
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Nutritional information for chia seeds
Next, let's look at the nutritional content of chia seeds.<Nutritional information per 100g of chia seeds>
Carbohydrates 7.7g, Energy 486kcal, Protein 16.5g, Dietary Fiber 34.4g, Fat 30.7g
Calcium 631mg, Magnesium 2.7mg, Zinc 4.6g, Iron 7.7mg, Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids 23.7g
The above nutritional informationIf you would like to know how nutritional information is calculated overseas, especially sugar content, please read this article .
Quoted from the United States Department of Agriculture, USDA.
As you can see, it contains a lot of various nutrients such as protein, dietary fiber, and lipids. It is also great that it is rich in calcium, zinc, and iron, which can cause anemia and a weakened immune system, but I will focus on the distinctive omega-3 and dietary fiber.
About the Omega-3 (α-linolenic acid) contained in chia seeds
Chia seeds are also famous for being rich in omega-3. They contain a lot of alpha-linolenic acid, which is one of the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Omega-3 is said to be an essential fatty acid because it cannot be produced in the body and must be obtained from food.
There are nine essential amino acids that cannot be synthesized in the body, but chia seeds contain eight of these, making them known as a miracle food.
Alpha-linolenic acid is expected to have effects such as suppressing the onset of allergies, lowering cholesterol levels, and activating the brain.
Omega-3 is sensitive to heat, so we recommend sprinkling it directly on salads and other foods.
Therefore, at Fusubon, when it comes to anpan that uses chia seeds as a topping, the topping is added after baking.
The dietary fiber contained in chia seeds
It contains 35% dietary fiber, most of which is soluble, making it effective against constipation.
One tablespoon (10g) of chia seeds provides roughly the same amount of dietary fiber as 300g of lettuce.
As mentioned at the beginning, a major feature of chia seeds is that their water-soluble dietary fiber absorbs water, allowing them to absorb up to 12 times their amount of water, forming a gel-like substance around the seeds.
Thanks to this, you can feel full even with a small amount. Recently, tapioca juice, which is full of sugar, has become popular, but mixing chia seeds into smoothies and other drinks will help keep the sugar content low.
At Fusubon, we use organic chia seeds!
At Fusubon, we use organic chia seeds as a topping for our bean paste buns.
"An Butter Roll"
"Matcha Bean Butter Roll"
There are two types:
The chewy dough is filled with plenty of red beans and topped with chia seeds. Please give it a try!
