Annatto Seed

Annatto seed is the small, hard, brick-red seed of the achiote tree. It has a mild earthy, peppery taste with a light floral aroma, and the seeds release a vivid orange-red pigment when warmed in fat or water. Cooks use it to tint oils, rice, and stews, and it is sold as whole seeds, ground annatto, or achiote paste or oil.\n\nNative to tropical Central and South America, it spread throughout Latin America and the Caribbean and later into the Philippines via trade. It is central in Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Filipino cuisines. Growers dry the prickly pods, then remove the seeds whose waxy coating contains the pigment bixin.