Organic chia seeds from Iswari — the tiny seeds of Salvia hispanica, a Mexican sage, eaten across Mesoamerica for centuries and now everywhere. They swell dramatically in liquid, forming a gel around each seed, which is the whole basis of what they do in a kitchen.
Please read this first — it matters
Never eat dry chia and then drink liquid. Chia absorbs many times its weight in water and forms a gel very quickly. There is a documented medical case of a man who swallowed a spoonful of dry chia followed by a glass of water and required endoscopy for an obstructed oesophagus. Always hydrate chia in liquid before eating it, and be particularly careful with anyone who has a swallowing difficulty or a narrowed oesophagus.
An honest note on omega-3
Chia is genuinely rich in alpha-linolenic acid, ALA, which is an omega-3 fatty acid. But it is worth being precise: almost all of the research people have in mind when they think of the benefits of omega-3 concerns EPA and DHA, the long-chain forms found in oily fish and algae. The human body converts ALA into those only poorly — typically under 10% into EPA and around 1% into DHA. Chia is a good food. It is not a substitute for an algal or fish oil supplement if EPA and DHA are what you are after, and no honest shop should suggest it is.
Chia is also widely sold on the claim that it helps maintain lower cholesterol levels. That claim is not authorised, so it does not appear here.
What they are good at
Fibre, texture and structure. A chia pudding, a jam set without pectin, an egg replacer in baking, body in a smoothie, crunch on a salad. They are near-tasteless, which is exactly why they go into everything.