What if Annatto (achiote) had a theme song? It would be Chicago’s “Color My World” because that’s exactly what it does:
Achiote is an orange-red seed of the achiote tree used for food coloring. It is an alternative to saffron, in terms of color, not flavor.
Annatto is used most often for its pigments that make foods orange to red in color. The flavor, a bit bitter and clay-like is negligible, which is why it is so often used as a colorant. The seed, whole, can be boiled or just soaked to get color. It can also be put into a sachet with other herbs and spices. Otherwise, it is best ground. I’ll add it to my spice mill to get a spice blend with the right color.
Native to the eastern Mediterranean regions, Brazil and Southwest Asia, it is grown and prized throughout Latin America, the Caribbean and the Philippines
The origins of the achiote are believed to be Brazil, used for ritual body painting, possibly as a sunscreen, and to ward off insects. It has been used both in foods and in early manuscript painting to replace the exquisitely expensive bug-based crimson made from cochineals.
Get top quality from our friends at SpiceJungle.
Get top quality from our friends at SpiceJungle..
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