AMAZING CHIA SEEDS A power-packed superfood whose name means strength in the Mayan language, Chia is native to Mexico and Guatemala. Besides being packed with nutrients such as thiamine, niacin, and various dietary minerals including manganese, selenium, phosphorous, and copper, chia has the ability to absorb up to ten times its volume of liquid, so it is used frequently as an egg substitute in vegan baking, or, as above, in puddings.