All About Achiote | Know Your Spice Annatto (Bixa orellana)

All About Achiote | Achiote is also known as Annatto (Bixa orellana)

Annatto is an orange-red food coloring or condiment made from the seeds of the achiote tree (Bixa orellana), which grows in tropical regions in South and Central America.

It’s most commonly used as a natural food coloring, as it imparts a bright color that ranges from yellow to deep orange-red, similar to saffron and turmeric.

Its color comes from compounds called carotenoids, which are pigments that are found in the seed’s outer layer and many other fruits and vegetables, such as carrots and tomatoes.

Additionally, annatto is used as a condiment to enhance the flavor of dishes due to its slightly sweet and peppery taste.

Achiote is not known in India as Sindoor as claimed by many internet articles. Sindoor is traditional vermillion.

The annatto tree B. orellana is believed to originate in tropical regions from Mexico to Brazil.

It was probably not initially used as a food additive. But for other purposes such as ritual and decorative body painting (still an important tradition in many Brazilian native tribes, such as the Wari’), sunscreen, and insect repellent, and for medical purposes.

It was used for Mexican manuscript painting in the 16th century.

Annatto has been traditionally used as both a coloring and flavoring agent in Latin America, the Caribbean, the Philippines, and other countries where it was taken home by Spanish and Portuguese explorers in the 16th century.

It has various local names according to region.

Its use has spread in historic times to other parts of the world, and it was incorporated in local culinary traditions of many countries outside the Americas.

Achiote plants and seeds were brought to Asia from Mexico in the 17th century through Sephardic Jewish trade routes.

Annatto seeds and plants from Portuguese, French, and Dutch colonies in Martinique seem to have spread more quickly across the Old World.

This trade route can be traced via traditional recipes in Jamaican, Filipino, and Vietnamese cuisine, where the Caribbean name for the seed and plant, Annatto and Bija, is more widely used than the Latin name Achiotl.

The use of Annatto seeds to dye food began when settlers arrived in the Americas and could not find saffron to use as coloring in their recipes.

Annatto seeds were soon referred to as ‘poor man’s saffron,’ and their popularity in Europe grew immensely, leading to the commercial cultivation of the spice in India by 1787.

• Central America, Africa, Sri Lanka, South America, Caribbean and India are the main producers commercially.
• In body care products, annatto oil provides antioxidant benefits while adding a rich, sunny colour to creams, lotions and shampoos.
• Seeds were used by American natives to make lipstick and red body paint.
• It is used as a food coloring for adding yellow or orange color to cheese, butter, cakes, sausages, baked goods, snack foods, potatoes, smoked fish, breakfast cereals and popcorn.
• It is used to form paste and powder used in Filipino, Chamorro, Jamaican and Latin American cuisines.
• It is used for sauce of pancit in Philippines.
• The seeds are grounded or used to make annatto oil.
• Annatto preparations are also used in makeup products and in textile industries.
• Grounded seeds are added to stews and soups.
• Meat is also marinated with annatto colored seasonings.
• Apart from being used as a fabric dye, Annatto is also used in household products such as floor wax, furniture polish and shoe polish.
• While it is mainly the seeds that are used by indigenous people for non-medicinal purposes, the whole achiote plant is used in traditional medicine.
• Traditional healers in Colombia also use annatto as antivenom in cases of snakebite.

• Make annatto oil to give foods annatto distinctive shade.
• Use as a food coloring to impart a yellow or orange tint.
• Use for baking to enhance the color of fillings, frostings, gels, sugar cones, wafer biscuits.
• Use annatto paste and oil for marinades.
• Annatto pigments can be used for in cheese, dairy products, cereal-derived products, sweets, beverages, sauces, and sausages.
• They are also used in products like margarines, vegetable creams, cheese, and icecream.
• In the Caribbean, the seeds are usually fried in (animal or vegetable) fat; after discarding the seeds, the then golden-yellow fat is used to fry vegetables or meat.
• Mexican cooks often use a paste (achiote) of annatto seeds with some preservatives (acetic acid) that dissolves completely in hot fat.
• In South México (Yucatán), meat is often marinated with a spice mixture called recado that derives its vibrantly yellow colour from liberal addition of annatto.
• Baking poultry and fish in a hot oven, pan-frying or grilling is also possible with annatto.
• In the Philippines, achiote seeds are often ground to a powder and added to soups and stews; meat is often marinated with annatto-coloured seasonings.
• In Vietnam, batters are often prepared with annatto oil to achieve a more attractive colour; annatto oil is also common for improving the colour of coconut-based curries.

Both seeds and ground achiote will keep for a long time. With proper storage, achiote can be good for up to three years.

Store it dry in an airtight glass container and a dark cabinet away from the light. Achiote oil will keep a few months when stored in a glass container in the refrigerator.

• Like annatto seeds, safflower provides a brilliant yellow color to dishes and this is mainly what makes it an excellent annatto seed substitute.
• A combination of paprika and turmeric is a workable alternative to achiote seeds.

Spice aisles in some Asian and most Mexican stores in the USA will have annatto readily available. Online Amazon however, overcomes availability issues for most. Links are below :)

• India: Achiote Powder | USA: Achiote Powder
• India: Achiote Seeds | USA: Achiote Seeds

Health Benefits of Achiote (Bixa orellana) or Benefits of Annatto

• Health Benefits of Achiote as an Antioxidant & Antimicrobial – Annatto, due to its powerful antioxidants, possesses antimicrobial properties and it can kill various pathogens, and bacteria in the body.
• Health Benefits of Annatto for Digestion – The high level of fiber found in annatto seeds, as well as the edible leaves of the achiote plant, is good for digestion. It promotes the smooth passage of food through the bowels and the efficient uptake of nutrients.
• Health Benefits of Achiote for Immunity – Primordial medicinal practices recommended the chewing of Achiote leaves or drinking the tea prepared with these leaves, for enhancing the immunity of a person.
• Health Benefits of Annatto for Digestive Problems – Achiote is an excellent remedy for treating digestive problems like colic, intestinal gas and indigestion. Many physicians prescribe it for curing anorexia as it is known to stimulate the digestive as well as the nervous system.
• Health Benefits of Achiote for Eyesight – The high carotenoid content, present in annatto, functions as antioxidants in your ocular system and prevent the development of cataracts, while also staving off macular degeneration, keeping your vision strong for years.
• Health Benefits of Annatto for Skincare – Tocotrienols, present in annatto, act as antioxidants, which is one of the reasons that it is so sought after for the treatment of the skin.
• Health Benefits of Achiote for Wounds – Annatto seed paste can be applied to speed the healing process of wounds.
• Health Benefits of Annatto for Breathing – Annatto seeds have expectorant properties. Therefore, they are used to prevent mucus-related disorders like coughs, asthma, and bronchitis. It also clears the mucus from the lungs.
• Health Benefits of Achiote for Liver – Annatto seeds help balance, detoxify, metabolize, and strengthen the liver. It also helps to reduce liver inflammation. Scientists have shown the role of bixin in destroying the harmful free radicals in the liver.