Today marks 8 years from the first time Irving and I met. While I don’t think that it warrants a big celebration like a birthday or wedding anniversary, it was a life changing moment, though we didn’t know it at the time, and I like to give the day a little nod each year. We met in a restaurant called Mojitos, a fun Latin restaurant/salsa club, and enjoyed many dates there in the early months of our relationship.
Tonight I’ll be serving up a chia fresca mojito—a distant cousin of a traditional mojito. The chia seed is actually related to the mint plant. It’s the same chia seed that you had in the 80’s for your chia pet, and yes, if you drink one of these you will sing “ch ch ch chia” for the rest of the night. You may also get some chia stuck in your teeth, a little bit like an Oreo cookie. It’s a small price to pay for this yumminess!
Chia can absorb 9-10 times its weight in water, so it is an excellent hydrator. It’s an easily digestible form of Omega 3 and 6, and doesn’t need to be ground up to give you the nutritional benefits.
The texture of this drink reminds me a bit of Boba Tea, aloe vera juice, or tapioca pudding. If you’re not sure how you will like the chia seeds, just add 1 T to start, and if you love it, add more.
Chia Fresca Mojito
3 T Chia seeds
1 60 ounce limeade (I like Simply Lime), or make your own limeade with fresh lime juice, water, and sugar)
1-2 oz light rum per person, optional (tequila would also be great, like a margarita fresca)
Put the chia seeds into a large pitcher. Add the limeade to the pitcher and give it a good stir. Allow to sit for 15 minutes, giving the chia time to plump and gel. Give it another good stir, breaking up and clumps of chia seeds. Pour into glasses and add rum if desired. Stir well and serve.
*the chia seeds will either rise up to the top or sink to the bottom pretty quickly, so make sure to give it a good stir each time you serve.
