Historical reference: Do not rely on this information. It is very old. About this collection
Chica, or Chico, (1) a dyestuff, producing an orange-red hue, made by boiling the leaves of the Bignonia chica, a climbing plant found upon the banks of the Orinoco and its tributaries the Meta and Cassiquiare. The Indians use it for painting their bodies. (2) A kind of maize beer, brewed and drunk in Chile.