Friday, February 3, 2012

Mamma Chia


Every so often, I stumble across a drink that is so demanding of my attention that I have no choice but to purchase it, regardless of price or taste appeal. Mamma Chia was one of those drinks, as it's not particularly common that I find drinks that are filled to the brim with tiny seeds. When I noticed it sitting on the shelf among the other organic drinks at a nearby Whole Foods Market, I found it to be quite odd that the seeds were just sitting perfectly suspended in the liquid, rather than sinking to the bottom. At first, I thought that maybe it was due to the sheer number of seeds in the drink, but upon closer inspection I realized that there was actually a good deal of space between each seed; too much space for that to be the answer.

So, I picked the drink up off of the shelf to take a closer look. I had expected the seeds to swirl around in the beverage upon picking it up, much like ink dispersing through disrupted water. However, rather than floating around freely in the fluid, the seeds simply lurched around with the liquid and promptly stopped in place when I stopped moving the bottle. The liquid didn't seem especially viscous, and my second hypothesis was that the seeds were extremely non-dense and that the effect of Pascal's Law (which states that any point in a confined incompressible fluid is subjected to equal forces in every direction due to the pressure of the surrounding fluid) was enough to overcome both gravity and buoyancy and hold the seeds in place. But I was still not entirely correct.

After doing a bit of research, I learned that chia seeds, when mixed with water, react to create a somewhat gelatinous substance. The resulting liquid is more dense than water, but still flows freely like a more conventional beverage, thus explaining the tendency of the seeds to remain fixed in place. This satisfied my curiosity about the strange behavior of the seeds, but I'm afraid that it caused problems when it came time to actually taste the drink.

I am sincerely at a loss for what to think about this drink. To start with the positive, the blackberry hibiscus juice was very good. Exceptionally good, in fact. The flavor is very light and natural and hits just the perfect amount of sweetness. Honestly, this may be one of the best juices that I have recently. However, the chia seeds give the drink one of the strangest consistencies that I have ever experienced. There are a lot of seeds in each Mamma Chia. So many seeds, in fact, that it is hard to tell that there is actually any liquid in there at all. Each seed has a sort of gelatinous "husk" around it that causes the seeds to slide around and bounce off of each other in your mouth, and each sip of the drink is reminiscent of the sensation caused by sucking squished up jello off of a spoon. The seeds themselves don't really taste like anything, but the sensation is just too weird and distracting for me. 

Like I said above, I really like the juice used in Mamma Chia. But the seeds - while they are an interesting concept - just get in my way of enjoying the beverage as a whole. Chia seeds do have several health benefits such as high protein, fiber, and essential mineral content, but the consistency is really just too odd for me to tolerate. However, if you don't think that the gelatinous nature of the seeds will not bother you, or you think that the health benefits are worth the added texture, then this is definitely one to try out. The experience itself is worth having at least once, anyway.

Verdict: Worth a try

Purchased: Whole Foods Market [Greenville, SC]
Size: 10 fl. oz. [296mL]
Price: Unfortunately, I forgot to write the price down. It was somewhere between 2 and 3 dollars, I believe.

21 comments:

  1. Huh. I have actually thought about getting this at least twice, but I was worried about the pod-like things floating around. I probably won't buy it, but I'm glad my curiosity has been satisfied!

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  2. Check out the health benefits of eating chia.

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  3. Oh, I'm definitely not contesting the health benefits of chia seeds. Salvia hispanica is a wonderful source of nutrients, particularly omega-3. But there are a lot of different ways to eat chia, and I'm not convinced that mixing them into beverages is the way to do it, at least not for me. The gelatinous texture is just too strange.

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  4. I just bought one and thought it was really enjoyable along with great taste! Will be back to try the different flavors!

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  5. My husband had terrible back pain and stiffness. After asking people I saw purchasing it, they SWEAR by it. I read online reviews and purchased my husband a weeks supply. By day 2 he could tell a difference in his joint mobility. And drinks one every day with lunch. I see a big difference in his mobility and alertness. He's in his 50's and wish he'd had found this drink in his 40's. He said after a few days you get used to the texture. The Mango is the best flavor so far. Good luck to all to try it.

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  6. im sorry but i do not agree at all with this review. If you read the nutritional value of chia seeds, im sure you would change your mind. The drink is like smooth jello with tiny little seeds that really dont make a difference in the taste. If you really think about it, there is no easier way to consume chia seeds then to drink them. This drink gives you vitality, its like a red bull without the jitters or the crash, it just makes you feel good all around. Please do some research before you base your reviews solely on your experience of the texture.

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    1. If you read the review carefully, you'll notice that I did not base my opinion solely on the texture. As I stated in the post, I really liked the taste of the juice, and I am well aware of the alleged health benefits of chia seeds.

      But even the healthiest of beverages doesn't work if you aren't drinking it. The texture just bothered me too much to keep buying the stuff. There are plenty of other ways to get the nutrients contained in chia seeds, and I can't bring myself to spend upwards of three dollars per bottle on a drink that I don't enjoy when I can just supplement my diet elsewhere.

      I'm glad that you like the drink, though. Like I've said, I really liked the flavor of the juice. Mamma Chia has been doing very well over the past couple of years, and I'm very happy to see their drink succeed. It's just not for me.

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  7. In Central America, flax seed is taken, heated in water, and as a result a natural gel forms that they drink cold. I remember seeing my mom make it and it looked like snot ahaha. I just bought a box of the Squeeze pouches from Costco, the Blackberry Bliss. it's pretty darn good! it does have a gel quality. I think of the liquid yogurts and it's similar to this. I think it's an awesome way to get in the chia seeds. I have no problem with the texture. I like it.

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  8. I pour Mama Chia into ice cube trays and freeze them. I then use them in smoothies with lots of blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and/or pineapple. I add either 2% organic milk for the grandkids, or almond milk when it's just me and my husband. I've also added yogurt and protein powder. I fix it for the grandkids first thing in the morning to stave off hunger until breakfast is ready. They love it!! It's also a quick on the go breakfast for my husband and me.

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  9. I found the drink and its gelatinous chia seeds very reminiscent of jelly drinks popular in Japanese groceries. Obviously just a lot healthier. So I liked it a lot...it just takes some getting used to.

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  10. Just bought one and I actually liked it! Texture is a little weird but if its good for me screw it lol...I have never heard of this seed so I have been searching the web to see what the healt benefits actually are and if it really works...curious

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  11. Mamma Chia also has small pouches of these drinks available (at least on the west coast). I first tried the pouches, found out I enjoyed the consistency, and decided to try the actual drink. It's a nice snack to have in the middle of the day, as it leaves you full, and it tastes delicious. Definitely going to be one of my go-to beverages from now on.

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  12. I am so with you on this! I loved the juice flavor, but the consistency almost made me throw up! I can't even think about how it felt in my mouth without almost throwing up.

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  13. I saw them in the organic section at my local Target. Knowing about the benefit of Chia seeds I decided to buy 1 of each of the 4 flavors they had stocked. The first bottle wigged me out, but I had bought 4. So, I figured I'd finish them slowly... By the 4th bottle I had become used to the texture.

    I now buy these every week and drink about 2-3 bottles a week. The benefits are just too good to pass up, the one noticeable right away - I have stomach issues including heartburn, but a bottle of Mamma Chia will soothe my stomach. After a bottle my energy levels go up, and my mental clarity and focus are much improved, even if I'm lagging on 3 hours of sleep.

    P.S. My trick to getting used to it, I don't think of it as a Drink! In my mind it's a Snack. I mentally prepare/psych myself to thinking I'm having a snack of slightly liquid-y, not too sweet jello. It makes it easier to consume and more palatable.

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  14. I just bought a bottle and I loved it it reminded me of eating jello which I actually love jello I tried the black raspberry and will definitely try the other flavors

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  15. I just bought the Coconut Mangor flavor, and absolutely loved it! The texture really is very similar to bubble tea. I've been debating for months whether or not to try it, but I'm really glad I did!

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  16. It's not about the taste of consistency, though I enjoy both. It's about the benefits of the seeds.

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  17. This drink is so delicious! I love the slimy, gooey consistency! OMG! It gives you this warm energy. I'm vegan & this drink is vegan friendly as well! So good

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  18. This drink gave me SEVERE constipation. Chia seeds expand in the intestines, and can cause major pain if not ingested properly. I loved the taste, and thought I was doing something healthy for my body! It turns out, 4 bottles of Mamma Chia in 2 days can put you in the ER.
    Although healthy it has WAY to many seeds in one beverage, let alone 4 in 2 days to actually serve the purpose of being "healthy."

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  19. I love Mama Chia drinks. The seeds pose no problem at all but I mostly mix it in smoothies. The drink provides the right sweetness. I am hooked on these drinks.

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  20. I recently tried the blackberry. Seeds were a bit unusual so I drink them now with a straw.

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