Annatto is the red-coated seed of the achiote tree of tropical America. It gives a mild earthy, peppery flavour and a strong orange-red colour to achiote paste, rice dishes and many cheeses.
What it is¶
Annatto comes from Bixa orellana, a small tree or large shrub of the American tropics known as achiote in Spanish-speaking countries, urucum in Brazil and roucou in the French Caribbean; its English nickname is the lipstick tree. Its heart-shaped, spiny pods split open to reveal around 30–50 seeds, each coated in a waxy, vivid red layer.
That coating is what matters. It is rich in the carotenoid pigment bixin, which dissolves in fat, and its relative norbixin, which dissolves in water once treated with alkali. The seed underneath is hard and has little flavour. Annatto is therefore both a spice and one of the world's most widely used natural food colourings, labelled E160b in Europe.
Origins and history¶
Indigenous peoples of the Amazon and Central America have used annatto for millennia as body paint, dye, insect repellent and food colouring. The Tsáchila people of Ecuador are known for dyeing their hair red with it, and the Maya used it in food and ritual; it remains fundamental to the cooking of the Yucatán.
Spanish and Portuguese traders carried annatto around their empires, and it became established in the Philippines (as atsuete), in the Caribbean, in West Africa and in India. In Europe, it found its way into dairies: from at least the 17th century, English cheesemakers used it to give a consistent golden-orange colour, supposedly imitating the richer colour of summer-pasture cheese. Red Leicester and Double Gloucester are still coloured with it, as are Mimolette in France and many orange Cheddars.
Flavour and aroma¶
Annatto is more colour than flavour. What flavour it has is subtle: earthy, slightly peppery and nutty, with a faint floral, nutmeg-like note and a little bitterness if overcooked. Its contribution to a dish is gentle background warmth, which is why it is nearly always combined with stronger spices, citrus and garlic.
Its colour, by contrast, is powerful: a small amount turns a pot of rice or a litre of oil deep orange.
In the kitchen¶
- Annatto oil (aceite de achiote): warm 2 tbsp seeds in 125 ml neutral oil or lard over a low heat for 5 minutes until the oil is deep red, then strain. Use it to fry sofrito, colour rice, or brush on grilled meat. Do not let it smoke — overheated annatto turns bitter and brown.
- Achiote paste: the Yucatecan recado-rojo grinds annatto with cumin, allspice, black pepper, cloves, garlic and bitter-orange juice. It is the marinade for cochinita pibil (slow-cooked pork in banana leaves) and pollo pibil.
- Caribbean cooking: Puerto Rican arroz con gandules and many sazón seasonings rely on annatto for colour.
- Philippines: atsuete colours kare-kare (oxtail and peanut stew), pancit, and chicken inasal.
- Brazil: colorau, ground urucum often mixed with cornmeal, is used much as paprika is in Spain.
💡 Soak or grind
Whole seeds are rock-hard. Either infuse them in oil or water and strain, or soak for a few hours before grinding in a sturdy spice grinder or pestle-and-mortar. Ready-ground powder saves effort. Annatto stains fingers, boards and plastic — use steel or glass where you can.
Buying and storing¶
Whole seeds should be a bright brick-red, not dull brown; they keep for two to three years in an airtight jar in a dark place. Powder and paste fade faster — use within six months, and refrigerate paste once opened. Annatto oil keeps for a month or two in the fridge.
Substitutes¶
For colour, sweet paprika with a small pinch of turmeric is the usual swap; saffron is a costly alternative in rice. For achiote paste, a mix of paprika, cumin, allspice, garlic, orange and lime juice and a little vinegar gives a passable version, though without the characteristic earthy note.
Pairs well with¶
Pork, chicken, rice, eggs, plantain, corn, beans, bitter orange, lime, garlic, cumin, allspice, black pepper, cloves, oregano, paprika, chillies and culantro.
Did you know¶
Annatto's use in cheese is an old trick with a practical edge. Cheese made from the milk of grass-fed cows in summer is naturally more yellow, thanks to the beta-carotene in fresh grass; colouring winter or skimmed-milk cheese with annatto made it look richer and more uniform. Many food labels list it simply as "colour: annatto" or "E160b".