Annatto (/əˈnætoʊ/ or /əˈnɑːtoʊ/) is an orange-crimson condiment and food coloring derived from the seeds of the achiote tree (Bixa orellana), native to tropical elements of the Americas. It is commonly used to impart a yellow or orange shade to foods, but generally additionally for its flavor and aroma. Its scent is described as "barely peppery with a trace of nutmeg" and flavor as "slightly nutty, candy and peppery". The shade of annatto comes from varied carotenoid pigments, mainly bixin and norbixin, found in the reddish waxy coating of the seeds. The condiment is typically prepared by grinding the seeds to a powder or paste. Similar effects can be obtained by extracting a number of the shade and flavor ideas from the seeds with hot water, oil, or lard, that are then added to the food. Annatto and its extracts at the moment are extensively used in an artisanal or plant - readalltheromance.com, industrial scale as a coloring agent in many processed meals products, reminiscent of cheeses, dairy spreads, butter and margarine, custards, cakes and different baked items, potatoes, snack foods, breakfast cereals, smoked fish, sausages, and more.

In these makes use of, annatto is a natural various to synthetic meals coloring compounds, but it has been linked to rare instances of meals-related allergies. Annatto is of specific industrial worth within the United States because the Food and Drug Administration considers colorants derived from it to be "exempt of certification". The annatto tree B. orellana is believed to originate in tropical regions from Mexico to Brazil. It was most likely not initially used as a food additive, however for different purposes equivalent to ritual and decorative body painting (nonetheless an essential tradition in many Brazilian native tribes, such because the Wari'), sunscreen, and insect repellent, and for medical purposes. It was used for Mexican manuscript painting within the 16th century. Annatto has been historically used as both a coloring and flavoring agent in numerous cuisines from Latin America, the Caribbean, the Philippines, and other nations the place it was taken house by Spanish and Portuguese colonizers within the 16th century.

It has numerous local names in accordance with area. Its use has spread in historic occasions to other components of the world, and it was included in native culinary traditions of many international locations outdoors the Americas. Men of the Tsàchila tribe in Ecuador are extremely recognizable thanks to their conventional bright orange hair, which is achieved by using crushed seeds of annatto. It is believed they have been doing so for centuries. Ground annatto seeds, often blended with other seeds or spices, are used within the type of paste or powder for culinary use, particularly in Latin American, Jamaican, Belizean, Chamorro, Vietnamese, and Filipino cuisines. In Mexican and Belizean cuisines, it's used to make the spice recado rojo. In Venezuela, annatto is used in the preparation of hallacas, huevos pericos, and other conventional dishes. In Puerto Rico it is usually simmered in oil or floor with seasonings and herbs to make sazón or used to make pasteles, arroz con gandules, and several other other dishes where it is certainly one of the principle elements.

Annatto paste is a crucial ingredient of cochinita pibil, the gradual-roasted pork dish popular in Mexico. It's also a key ingredient within the drink tascalate from Chiapas, Mexico. Within the Philippines, it is used for the sauce of pancit. In Guam, it's used to make a staple rice dish flavored with annatto, onion, garlic, butter, and other spices. Annatto is usually used to impart a yellow or orange colour to many industrialized and semi-industrialized foods, including cheese, ice cream, bakery merchandise, desserts, fruit fillings, yogurt, butter, oils, margarines, processed cheese, and fat-based mostly merchandise. Foods coloured with annatto might declare the coloring within the statement of components as "coloured with annatto" or "annatto shade". Within the European Union, it is identified by the E number E160b. In cheese, the yellow and orange hues naturally range all year long as the cow's feed modifications: within the summer time, with contemporary grass and its pure carotene content, the milk produced would have a natural orange tint, as would the cheese made from it, whereas at different times of the yr, the tint could be greatly lowered.