Try It Out: Mamma Chia Organic Drinks
Do you remember Chia Pets? That was the first thing I thought of when I started seeing chia seeds being used in food! A lot of foodies I follow have been making chia seed pudding and adding chia seeds to their smoothies. I've been thinking about giving this new trend a try but wasn't sure how to go about it.
I was grocery shopping with the boyfriend and spotted a line of drinks called Mamma Chia in the beverage case that holds the natural juice brands such as Naked Juice and Bolthouse Farms. There were quite a few tasty-sounding flavors, and since they were on sale, we both picked up one. I chose the coconut mango flavor, and he chose a blackberry one. I'm a sucker for summery flavors!
The drinks come in glass bottles with twist-off caps. The labels/branding is not the most exciting or inviting I've ever seen, but gets the job done.
I always sniff new food because I'm a total weirdo like that. The smell of this beverage is just like that of a piña colada, which had me excited. The texture is what is the most interesting. I can say that people who do not like boba, or bubble tea drinks, will probably dislike the feeling of this drink. The liquid itself is not as runny as water, but not necessarily thick like jelly or yogurt. It's smooth, but has substance to it. The feeling of the little seeds doesn't bother me at all, but may freak out some consumers. I haven't attempted to chew any of the seeds, but they are big enough you could try. The flavor of the coconut mango one I chose is very nice. It's actually very subtle and light. The scent is stronger than the flavor. The label says "lightly sweetened," which I guess comes from the agave listed as an ingredient.
The drink's label mentions usage of chia seeds by the Mayanand Aztecs for "their amazing energy and natural healing powers." I would like to research that some more - I didn't know chia seeds were from there.
The Mamma Chia line also donates "1% of sales to support healthy, local food systems-because we love Mamma Earth and her people," and there is a little logo that says "1% FOR THE PLANET MEMBER." There is also mention of being a Slow Money Founding Member.
I've liked this one enough to try a couple others. I'm also interested in the high fiber content - I think this would be great to have with breakfast on days I don't get to have a lunch break at work for longer than usual.
Has anyone else seen this line or tried any?