Spice Nest
What follows is a Spice Nest article that looks at the spices nown as Annatto and some of its uses.
Annatto
The spice Annatto, which is sometimes known as Roucou, comes from the achiote trees that inhabit the tropical regions of the Americas. It is used as a red food colouring as well as a flavouring. It has an aroma described as "peppery with a hint of nutmeg" and its flavour is described as "slightly sweet and peppery".
The Annatto spice is produced from the red pulp surrounding the seed of the achiote tree (Bixa orellana). Annatto is commonly used in some Latin American and Caribbean cuisines both as a colouring agent as well as a flavouring. Natives of Central and South American areas use the seeds to make a body paint and lipstick and the achiote is sometimes known as the lipstick-tree.
Annatto is used in cheeses such as Cheddar, Red Leicester, and Brie, as well as margarine, butter, rice dishes, some smoked fish and also custard powder. It is also a major ingredient in the spice blend known as "Sazón".
Annatto as a food additive has been assigned the E number E160b. Of the crude extract of the plant, the fat soluble part is called bixin and the water soluble part called norbixin. They and annatto all share the same E number.
Allergies to Annatto
Annatto allergies do exist as this spice is linked with certain cases of food related allergies. Annatto is in fact the only natural food colouring that is believed to cause just as many allergic types of reactions as many artificial food colourings. However, as annatto is a natural colouring, companies that use this spice as a food colouring can label their products as "all natural" or "no artificial colors". Consumers with food dye sensitivity or intolerance may prefer to avoid products that contain annatto.
Annatto may cause a similar reaction to gluten in some people diagnosed with Coeliac Disease or those with gluten intolerance.
Janice White
Spice Nest
