Salvia tiliifolia

Salvia tiliifolia (lindenleaf sage or Tarahumara chia) is a vigorous, herbaceous annual in the family Lamiaceae that is native to Central America. As a pioneer of abused areas, the plant has spread in modern times into: South America, as far south as Peru and Bolivia; the southwestern regions of the United States, including the states Texas and Arizona; Africa, including South Africa and Ethiopia; China, including the provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan. This species is native to Mesoamerica, and a number of similar species have been domesticated at least as far back as 3,400 BCE. Chia was an important item in the Aztec diet and was widely used by them. Salvia tiliifolia is still harvested by the Tarahumara. The Aztecs roasted chia seed mixed with amaranth seed, corn flour, and maguey syrup to form a dough referred to as "tzoalli" in Nahuatl—routinely eaten and still consumed. The roasted seeds were also ground into flour, and formed the main ingredient of a drink known as "chianatolli." T......read more on Wikipedia.