Chia seeds are small dark seeds derived from Salvia hispanica plant. They are rich in mineral salts, vitamins and fatty acids. They have been known for thousands of years and they are still harvested and used in Central and South America as an important food base. The word "chia" in the Aztec language means "strength" and the people of certain areas of Mexico and Guatemala, where chia is cultivated, knew it well. In Europe chia have been introduced and marketed quite recently (2009). Its fame is increasingly spreading by virtue of its amazing properties: the seeds contain primarily a high content of calcium and other minerals, such as selenium, zinc, magnesium, iron and potassium, but also vitamin C and essential fatty acids omega3 and omega6.