Drinking plant embryos

Whether you are an omnivore or herbivore, ask yourself this: How often do you eat seeds? Seeds, a.k.a. plant embryos, have historically been an important food source for people, since they are nuggets concentrated with nutrition. While chia seeds have become widely available in the past several years, there’s been less attention given to basil seeds. Like chia, basil seeds (from the sweet basil plant) form a gel membrane when wet, but absorb liquid faster than chia. In Ayurveda, they’re used for anemia, promoting digestion, cooling the body and blood sugar regulation, among other things. In bottled drinks, much like the lava-lamp inspired Orbitz beverage of the 1990s, basil seeds remain suspended in intensely sweet liquid. Find them at Asian food markets (KP International has some at 10971 Olson Drive in Rancho Cordova) or boba tea shops as toppings. Gong Cha (24988 Blue Ravine Road, Suite 108 in Folsom and 1411 West Covell Boulevard, Suite 110 in Davis) has it.