By Rachel Hergett EBS COLUMNIST
At the beginning of June, I stopped to stock up at one of the last Trader Joe’s stores as I made my way back to Montana where there are none. I had three things left on my list as I circled the aisles: chia, flax and hemp seeds. An employee saw my wanderings and offered assistance, leading me to the cereal section as she told me, “That sounds like a really good pudding.” I grabbed what I needed from the shelf and aimed my overflowing cart toward the registers with a mumbled “it is” to my kind guide, my mind already back on the road.
With the wisdom of hindsight, I find myself wishing I had taken that moment to slow down and connect, to tell her how I do make pudding with those seeds. Instead, I’ll tell all of you.
I love to make chia-based puddings, experimenting with the creamy, crunchy, gooey textural elements and flavor additions. A chia pudding is something I can throw together quickly in the morning, fueling my day deliciously. I know most recipes say that chia pudding should be left in the fridge for a minimum of eight hours. I disagree. Well, partly. The pudding does get a bit creamier overnight as the seeds work their slimy magic. The seeds soften and the ingredients and textures in the pudding meld. This can be a very good thing.
But I’m also the person that adds a little bit of cereal at a time into a bowl of milk in order to maintain optimal crisp. I like the crunch of the chia seeds as they are. Sometimes I will let the chia pudding sit overnight, but more often I don’t plan that far ahead.
And chia seeds don’t need that much time to begin working their magic. The beauty of the chia seed—aside from nutritional value of the fiber, protein and omega-3s—is in its goo. Chia seeds contain mucilage, a water-soluble substance that plants use to store water and food. It is this mucilage that becomes sticky and gel-like when the dry seeds are soaked in water.
The goo-ification of the chia seeds happens fast. They will start to thicken a liquid almost immediately, enough so that when you add milk and stir, the consistency is much more like pudding than it is like soup after only five or 10 minutes.
And that, my friends, is really the basis of chia pudding. Add two tablespoons of whole chia seeds into a half cup of your milk of choice and stir. Let it sit for a minute and stir again. Repeat until the seeds are distributed through the liquid and not falling to the bottom.
My basic recipe is 2 tablespoons chia seeds, one-half cup unsweetened coconut milk or whole milk, 2 teaspoons of maple syrup, one-half teaspoon of vanilla and a pinch of salt.
Then I mix it up. If I want the richness, maybe I add a little cream. If I’m in the mood for a new flavor, I will stir cocoa or matcha powder into the milk. In addition to the chia seeds, I will often add a tablespoon of flaxseed meal and/or a tablespoon of shelled hemp seeds to vary the nutrients and texture.
Once I have a chia pudding of some sort setting up, I think about toppings. Channel your inner fro-yo shop and get into all sorts of candy and cookie madness or dive into more granola breakfast staples like coconut chips or shavings, nuts and fruit.
Fruit is a natural pair, with its balance of sweet and tart complementing the rich creaminess of the pudding. I gravitate toward seasonality, using whatever fruit is calling my name from the produce aisle. I especially like adding citrus pops with blood orange segments, kumquat slices and finger lime pearls when available.
But there is no shame in freeze dried when fruit is out of season—or when you haven’t been to the store in a while. I tend to keep freeze-dried strawberries on hand, reaching for them for a quick snack or to add a gut punch of strawberry flavor to dishes. Turn a handful to dust in a blender or food processor—or a coffee grinder in a pinch—and mix it into your pudding to make it strawberry flavor. Or add slices to the pudding to reconstitute if you plan on letting it sit. This gives the strawberries a soft, slightly chewy texture that reminds me of strawberries and cream instant oatmeal and thus childhood.
Like with all foods, I encourage you to play with the pudding, to make it your own and find a version of the basic recipe that best fits you. And if you do, and someone asks about what you’re making, please take a moment to tell them.
Rachel Hergett is a foodie and cook from Montana. She is arts editor emeritus at the Bozeman Daily Chronicle and has written for publications such as Food Network Magazine and Montana Quarterly. Rachel is also the host of the Magic Monday Show on KGLT-FM and teaches at Montana State University.
