At 17:11 +1000 9/4/1999, Susan Kline wrote:

>>Chia seems to be the herb sage.
>
>Chia is not what we call sage, but is a plant used by the Pima Indians
>in the southwest.

Aah, I'll defer to your local knowledge. But :)


The USDA database lists:
Seeds, chia seeds, dried
NDB_No: 12006
Food Group: Nut and Seed Products
Scientific Name: Salvia spp.
                 ^^^^^^

And http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/Food/RelatedPlantList.html lists:

Salvia (Sage)
 S. colorata Red Sage, Purple Topped Sage - used in herbal medicine
 S. divinorum Pipilzintzintli, Leaves of the Shepherdess - a psychedelic
      drug from North America containing 5-methoxydimethyl tryptamine
 S. elegans, S. rutilans Pineapple Sage, House Plant Sage - used as a herb
 S. hispanica seeds used for a tonic drink and for oil for artists' paints
 S. lavandulifolia Narrow Leaf Sage - used as an astringent cleanser
 S. mellifera Black Sage - often sought out by honey bees
 S. miltiorrhiza Red-Rooted Sage - roots used in Chinese medicine
 S. officinalis Sage
 S. sclaria Clear Eye, Clary - used as a perfume for vermouth and liqueurs
      and for scenting soap; can cause nightmares when combined with alcohol
 S. triloba Three-Lobed Sage - used for 'faskomelo' herb tea in Greece

Thus I would expect chia seeds to be fairly closely related to sage.

Also closely related to sage in the Related Plants List are peppermint,
spearmint, oregano, marjoram, thyme and (less closely related) basil.
All these herbs have a very, very low w6:w3 ratio.

 ...Richard.