chia
chia — noun
- chiasingular
- chiasplural
1. a flowering plant that originally comes from the region of Mexico and Guatemala,
a flowering plant that originally comes from the region of Mexico and Guatemala, belongs to the same plant group as mint, and produces small purple or blue flowers that later turn into edible seeds.
Aunt Sofia grows chia plants along the back wall of her garden in Oaxaca.
chia + plant (collocation: chia + plant for the plant itself)
The chia plant can reach about one metre in height and thrives in warm climates.
Farmers in southern Mexico sow chia seeds in early spring after the last frost disappears.
During the dry season the chia plant's flowers attract bees and butterflies to the field.
- Salvia hispanica
the scientific or Latin name for the chia plant, used in botanical or academic contexts
2. the tiny, oval, greyish-brown grains that the chia plant produces; they contain
the tiny, oval, greyish-brown grains that the chia plant produces; they contain plenty of fibre and omega-3 oils and are commonly mixed into foods such as porridge, smoothies, and baked goods for their health value.
Mei-Lin stirs a spoonful of chia into her morning yoghurt for extra fibre.
chia + into + food (pattern: stir/add/put chia into [food])
Omar soaked the chia in coconut milk overnight to make a pudding for breakfast.
Fatima adds a teaspoon of chia to her smoothie every morning before heading to work.
The recipe says to let the chia sit in almond milk for at least twenty minutes before serving.
- chia seeds
the more explicit term; 'chia' alone often implies the seeds in food contexts
用法筆記
Chia seeds are typically uncountable; you say 'some chia' or 'chia seeds'. The singular 'chia seed' is possible when referring to one individual seed.