Central & South America

Achiote / Annatto

Bixa orellana, seed. Also (from Urucum): Bixa orellana.

Seed.

Part Used

Whole dried seeds, ground powder, or pre-made paste (recado rojo).

Form

Local / Regional Names

Achiote (Spanish/Nahuatl-derived); urucum is the Brazilian Portuguese name for the same product.

Countries / Cuisines

Mexico (especially Yucatán), broader Central America; also Brazil under the urucum name. Also (from Urucum): Brazil.

Flavor & Aroma

Mildly earthy, peppery, faintly sweet – used far more for its vivid brick-red color than for pronounced flavor.

Culinary Uses

Foundational natural colorant and mild flavoring for Yucatecan and broader Latin American cooking.

Classic Dishes

Cochinita pibil; recado rojo-based marinades; achiote rice. Also (from Urucum): Also historically used by some Indigenous Brazilian peoples as a body paint pigment.

Pairings

Sour orange, garlic, oregano.

Timing

Toast whole seeds in oil to extract color before discarding the seeds and using the colored oil, or grind into paste with other aromatics.

Storage

Whole seed keeps well over a year sealed and dark; paste keeps months refrigerated.

Substitutions

Turmeric plus a pinch of paprika approximates the color, though the flavor and hue are both distinctly different.

Cultural / History Notes

Achiote and urucum are the same species (Bixa orellana), known by its Spanish/Mesoamerican and Brazilian Portuguese names respectively.

Blend Cross-References

Recado rojo; achiote paste preparations.