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April 2, 2018 By Priya Prakash 55 Comments

7 Differences between Chia Seeds & Sabja Seeds

chia1

 CHIA Seeds on the left side and SABJA seeds on the right side

Chia seeds are tiny power-packed seeds that have been documented to be around since 3500 bc in the diets of Aztecs and Mayans. They had identified that these super seeds had the ability to increase stamina and energy over long periods of time.

What is the difference between chia seed and sabja seeds (basil seeds)?

Chia seed is a native of Mexico and it does not have an Indian name. However, it has time and again been confused with basil seeds which are also known as Sabja in Hindi. Be it in appearance, origin or health benefits; Chia seeds are different from Sabja in numerous ways. Both chia seeds and sabja seeds originate from the mint family and hence the resemblance.

So how do you differentiate one from the other? Below are a few simple ways that can help you do so:

  1. Native

Chia seeds are native to central and southern Mexico while Sabja seeds are native to India and the Mediterranean region.

      2. Colour

chia 2a chia2b

As can be seen in the above image, the left side is CHIA SEEDS. They are usually a mixture of grey, black, white and sometimes even brown seeds. However, even the black ones are not pitch black in colour. Instead, a dull pattern or a mosaic is visible on them. On the right side is SABJA SEEDS, uniformly jet Black in colour.

         3. Appearance

chia3

Chia seeds are oval in shape and Sabja seeds are elliptical, like tiny grains of rice.

4. On Soaking in Water

chia4

                                        Sabja Seeds in the water on the left, Chia seeds in water on the right

Chia seeds take time to absorb water. It has the unique ability to gel by absorbing over 10 times their weight. Sabja seeds swell up within seconds of being mixed with water. A translucent coat forms around the seed and it appears much larger in size when compared to a soaked chia seed.

         5. Taste of Soaked Seeds

chia5

                                         Sabja seeds in water on the top glass, Chia seeds in water on the bottom glass

Chia seeds do not have any taste of its own and can easily be incorporated in any kind of dish. Sabja seeds have a mild flavour of basil and impart the same to drinks and desserts.

                6.Usage

Chia seeds can be consumed raw or soaked. Sabja seeds can be consumed only after soaking.

               7. Health Benefits

Both, Chia and Sabja seeds have their own set of health benefits. They have been known to aid in weight loss due to their ability to make you feel fuller faster. Here are the most beneficial properties of the seeds.

Chia seeds

  1. Good source of proteins and Omega 3s
  2. The naturally low-carb and high-fibre food helps in digestion
  3. Highly recommended for weight-loss
  4. Promotes energy and endurance
  5. Helps in stabilizing blood sugar levels

Sabja Seeds

  • One of the best body coolant
  • Has a soothing effect on the stomach and hence useful to combat acidity
  • Good source of vitamins and Iron
  • Helps to promote healthy skin and hair
  • Acts as a detoxifying agent and helps to cleanse the blood

 

FACTOR CHIA SEEDS SABJA SEEDS
Native to Central and southern Mexico Native to India and the Mediterranean region
Colour Usually a mixture of grey, black, white and sometimes even brown seeds. However, even the black ones are not pitch black in colour. Instead, a dull pattern or a mosaic is visible on them Uniformly jet Black or pitch black in colour
Appearance Oval in shape Elliptical, like tiny grains of rice
On soaking in water Chia takes time to absorb water. It has the unique ability to gel by absorbing over 10 times their weight. Sabja swell up within seconds of being mixed with water. A translucent coat forms around the seed and it appears much larger in size when compared to a soaked chia seed
Taste of soaked seeds Does not have any taste of its own and can easily be incorporated in any kind of dish.  Has a mild flavour of basil and imparts the same to drinks and desserts
Usage/Health Benefits Can be consumed raw or soaked.

Good source of proteins and Omega 3s

Can be consumed only after soaking.

Has a soothing effect on the stomach and hence useful to combat acidity.

 

*Chia Seeds from Naturally Yours is now available on GOQii Store. 

 

About Priya Prakash

I Co-founded Naturally Yours with the vision to make healthy and
organic food easily accessible and affordable. Over the years I have
developed strong associations with over 1000 farmers across India and
work with them to encourage organic farming in order to promote
healthy eating. I am a strong proponent of the idea that simple tweaks
in our daily diet can make a huge impact on our overall health.

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Comments

  1. trupti hingad says

    April 2, 2018 at 10:30 am

    Thanks for this blog. Good one!

    Reply
    • Prakash farande says

      July 8, 2019 at 4:12 pm

      Nice information !

      Reply
    • Papa Jones says

      July 10, 2019 at 2:46 am

      well done explaining the difference but just to cater to the massive readership that does not understand “sabja” in Urdu its called “tukh malanga”

      Reply
    • Khaled saleem says

      July 1, 2020 at 1:59 pm

      Good described how to differentiate Chia seed and sabza tuk malanaga

      Reply
  2. farrukh says

    June 11, 2018 at 11:31 am

    Dear Parkash I liked your effort, I being a Nutro-Pharmacist, found your blog very helpfu.
    I would like to be intouch with you for a similar project, for organic farming and its consumption.
    Best Regards
    https://www.facebook.com/thegreenpharmacist/

    Reply
    • Shyamala says

      September 20, 2019 at 5:27 pm

      Wonderful presentation..
      useful information..
      thank you

      Reply
  3. Heena says

    June 13, 2018 at 1:17 pm

    Clearly explained

    Reply
  4. Vaishali says

    September 11, 2018 at 4:23 am

    Hello,
    Good information.
    But you said Chia does not have an Indian name, this is NOT correct.
    Its Indian name is halim in hindi and aliv in marathi.
    It’s been in our culture for centuries.
    I have had it post pregnancy , which is said to be very good.
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Maheeka says

      April 25, 2019 at 9:18 pm

      Thank you so much for good explanation Prakash!

      Reply
    • Priya says

      September 7, 2020 at 9:23 pm

      I’m sorry but that’s not correct either. Aliv is way different than chia… colour, size and even many of the properties are different. Though they are easily confused. Aliv is pepperweed/ grass cress in English…

      Reply
  5. Seshu says

    September 12, 2018 at 2:36 pm

    Have been searching for the difference for quiet a long time, was really helpful and easy. Thank you 🙂

    Reply
  6. Gerandha purushotham Nagendra kumar says

    November 24, 2018 at 11:03 pm

    Thank you very much for this blog. I live in Mexico, here we use a lot chia for omega 3. I heared about sabaja seeds for new pains. Especially was searching for difference and found this blog. Really great work from you, very useful .
    Thank you very much 🙏

    Reply
  7. Reagan says

    November 29, 2018 at 1:46 pm

    I wanted to ask, how many time’s their weight do Sabja seeds absorb water? If u try n compare the dry size and soaked sizes after a few hours then the Sabja seeds appear a little larger. Just from observation it seems that they could absorb even more than 10 times their weight in water making them even better than Chia in that aspect.

    Reply
  8. Ganesh Balaji says

    November 30, 2018 at 11:32 pm

    It is a very useful page. I got the clear idea about both seeds. Thanks.

    Reply
  9. NAGARAJ KUDLI says

    December 22, 2018 at 6:28 pm

    HIGHLY VALUABLE . Specially comparitive table is highly appreciated > In the comparitive table why cooling effect of sabja seeds is missing?

    Reply
  10. Shani says

    December 24, 2018 at 3:23 pm

    Tukham Malanga which we use mostly in drinks (Sharbat) is CHIA SEEDS or SABJA SEEDS?

    Kindly confirm.

    Reply
    • Meki says

      July 17, 2019 at 1:29 pm

      Tukhmalanga

      Reply
  11. Sham says

    April 16, 2019 at 2:41 am

    Very useful info.Where can i find chia seeds in Bangalore?have checked Bigbbazar n few stores but no luck yet.

    Reply
    • Anusha Subramanian says

      April 16, 2019 at 10:35 am

      Hi! You can order them from the GOQii Health Store within the GOQii app.

      Reply
  12. Nidhi G Kapur says

    April 18, 2019 at 10:23 am

    Can We Mix Basil Seeds And Chia Seeds in Water Together and Consume ? … & What is the Best Time of the Day to Consume the Same …

    Reply
  13. Jase saini says

    April 30, 2019 at 5:26 am

    Thanks dear . Really useful knowledge.

    Reply
  14. Mohua Das says

    June 10, 2019 at 12:47 pm

    Really useful information. Thank you 🙂

    Reply
  15. usman khan says

    June 10, 2019 at 9:00 pm

    Thanks its useful health blog, my question is which seed is helpful in losing weight and how we can use it?
    Secondly, if both seeds are benefits for health can we use it together soak it overnight and then drink it in the morning.

    please reply, your prompt reply will be helpful and appreciated

    Reply
  16. Sujeet says

    June 21, 2019 at 2:26 pm

    Well Done ! You are wonderful. I find it very valuable. Keep Going………..

    Reply
  17. Dolly Singh says

    June 26, 2019 at 9:30 am

    That’s a great comparison with details, That was always something confusing me.

    Reply
  18. SL NARASIMHA RAO says

    July 1, 2019 at 2:53 pm

    How are these consumed? Can these seeds be powdered and mixed in sabjis & dal?

    Reply
  19. Vasu says

    July 9, 2019 at 5:26 pm

    excellent information.. very detailed in all respects..

    Reply
  20. Vijay kiran says

    July 23, 2019 at 7:12 am

    Where can i find the CHAI Seeds in hyderabad.??

    Reply
  21. M.B.Ahmed says

    September 9, 2019 at 12:11 am

    please can u show the picture of the both plants.

    Reply
  22. All Recipes In Hindi says

    September 11, 2019 at 9:56 pm

    This Is Good Information . I find it very valuable

    Reply
  23. parul says

    September 29, 2019 at 5:00 pm

    Chia seeds are also coolent . Does it increase pain in the bones.

    Reply
  24. Nivedha says

    October 2, 2019 at 8:50 am

    Very useful information………..

    Reply
  25. Sumona says

    March 2, 2020 at 9:46 am

    Very informative, I was really confused between both the seeds even thought it’s benefits are also same.Thank you so much for this detailed information.

    Reply
  26. Veena says

    March 22, 2020 at 10:16 am

    Excellent explanation.. thanks a lot for sharing.. helpful n liked it👍👍🙏

    Reply
  27. Asaria says

    April 17, 2020 at 2:30 am

    Pleas give similar article for NigellaSativa (kalonji) and onionseeds .

    Reply
  28. alex says

    April 20, 2020 at 5:15 pm

    Thanks, PRIYA PRAKASH for sharing useful information. Keep Going,….

    Reply
  29. Vidhya Ramkumar says

    May 3, 2020 at 8:23 am

    Thanks for this detailed info.

    Reply
  30. Khan says

    July 3, 2020 at 1:03 pm

    Thank you for taking time to explain!!!

    Reply
  31. Salma says

    July 15, 2020 at 6:47 pm

    thank you Priya.. for this information on chia n sabja seeds. have been looking around for this
    stay blessed

    Reply
  32. Nader Mehravari says

    July 23, 2020 at 2:13 am

    Hi. Do you know the exact botanical name for Sabja Seeds? Which variety of Ocimum Basilicum is it? Thank you.

    Reply
  33. raj says

    July 31, 2020 at 10:54 pm

    very good info, thanks for posting. suggestion if you can publish information on fasting grains with their nutritional values that is like Rajgaro, Sago, Singora, Kutino daro

    Reply
  34. Abdul Zahid says

    September 4, 2020 at 2:57 am

    Sabja seeds bro..

    Reply
  35. narayana says

    September 20, 2020 at 3:27 pm

    Unable to find Tamil, Telugu, Hindi equivaelnt correctly for Chia seeds. Because CHia is different from sabja

    Reply
  36. Shah says

    November 21, 2020 at 11:28 am

    Chia seed indian name ‘tukh malang’ Urdu name…

    Reply
  37. Ravindranath P says

    January 16, 2021 at 7:19 pm

    Thanks for the precise information

    Reply
  38. Aarti says

    February 16, 2021 at 10:02 am

    Very helpful differentiation 😊🙏

    Reply
  39. Nadia Khan says

    June 19, 2021 at 8:38 am

    Is chia seeds hot or cold in nature??

    Reply
  40. Deeksha says

    August 8, 2021 at 11:54 am

    Beautifully explained. Very informative.

    Reply
  41. P Madhusudan says

    August 13, 2021 at 9:10 am

    Thank you for the detailed information with photos Ms Priya .Prakash.
    We seem to have a sabja plant growing in a pot at home and no idea how we got the seeds.

    Reply
  42. Aarti says

    October 27, 2021 at 11:35 am

    Thank you…. Good and clear information.

    Reply
  43. Arif says

    December 7, 2021 at 3:50 pm

    Good content you are having on this page loved to be a member of this page keep up the good work guyz, you are doing a great job for awareness. Very nice content Superb Very creative Superior work

    Reply
  44. Inidaschef says

    May 14, 2022 at 4:17 pm

    Good Content.

    Reply
  45. natu kher says

    June 4, 2022 at 7:59 pm

    good comment loved your page keep up the work your hard work will pay off excellent page.

    Reply
  46. natu kher says

    June 7, 2022 at 2:17 pm

    good comment loved your page keep up the work your hard work will pay off excellent page,

    Reply
  47. Poonam says

    March 12, 2023 at 8:55 pm

    Very informative content , thanks..

    Reply

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