1. Description

2. Distribution

3. Cultivation

4. Industrial uses

5. Culinary uses

6. Traditional medicine

7. Other uses

8. Gallery

9. References

• Orellana orellana (L.) Kuntze
• Bixa orleana Noronha
• Bixa americana Poir.
• Bixa purpurea Sweet
• Bixa odorata Ruiz & Pav. ex G.Don
• Bixa acuminata Bojer
• Orellana americana (Poir.) Kuntze
• Bixa upatensis Ram.Goyena
• Bixa katangensis Delpierre

Achiote (Bixa orellana) is a shrub or small tree originating from the tropical region of the Americas.^[2] North, Central, and South American natives originally used the seeds to make red body paint and lipstick, as well as a spice.^[2] For this reason, the achiote is sometimes called the lipstick tree.

The tree is best known as the source of annatto, a natural orange-red condiment (also called "achiote" or "bijol") obtained from the waxy arils that cover its seeds.^[2] The ground seeds are widely used in traditional dishes in Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean, such as cochinita pibil, chicken in achiote and caldo de olla. Annatto and its extracts are also used as an industrial food coloring to add yellow or orange color to many products such as butter, cheese, sausages, cakes, and popcorn.

The species name was given by Linnaeus after the Spanish conquistador Francisco de Orellana, an early explorer of the Amazon River.^[3] The name achiote derives from the Nahuatl word for the shrub, āchiotl {{IPA-nah|aːˈt͡ʃiot͡ɬ|}}. It may also be referred to as aploppas, or by its original Tupi name uruku, urucu or urucum ("red color"), which is also used for the body paint prepared from its seeds.

Description

Distribution

Although the exact origin of B. orellana is unknown, it is native to the American tropics: "it is said to be indigenous by Seemann on the northwest coast of Mexico and Panama, by Triana in New Granada, by Meyer in Dutch Guiana, and by Piso and Claussen in Brazil”.^[2] B. orellana is found in substantial wild and cultivated acreages from Mexico to Ecuador, Brazil, and Bolivia.^[4]

During the 16th and 17th centuries, annatto was distributed to Southeast Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Hawaii and southeastern North America in tropical and subtropical regions.^[2][4] It became cultivated in tropical regions of Asia, such as India, Sri Lanka, and Java mainly for the dye which the seeds yield.^[2]

Cultivation

The main commercial producers of B. orellana are countries in Latin America (specifically Peru, Brazil and Mexico) which constitute 60% of total world production followed by Africa (27% of total world production) and Asia (12% of total world production).^[7]{{Better source|reason=The article does not focus on global cultivation (more about pigment synthesis) and does not cite the source of their production statistics|date=February 2019}} Production statistics are not usually available, and would not provide a reliable guide to international trade since many of the producing countries use significant quantities domestically (e.g., Brazil is a large producer and consumer, needing additional imports). Annual world production of dried annatto seed at the beginning of the 21st century was estimated at about 10,000 tons, of which 7,000 tons enter international trade. Peru is the largest exporter of annatto seed, annually about 4,000 tons; Brazil the largest producer with about 5,000 tons. Kenya exports annually about 1,500 tons annatto seed and extracts and is the second-largest exporter, after Peru. Côte d'Ivoire and Angola are also exporters.^[8]

Industrial uses

Before synthetic dyes revolutionized industry, the tree was planted commercially for the pigment, extracted by solvent or boiling the seeds in oil, which was used to color cheese, margarine, chocolate, fabric and paints. Annatto oil is rich in tocotrienols, beta-carotene, essential oil, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, flavonoids and vitamin C.^[9] The seeds are collected from wild-growing bushes or from plantations in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Culinary uses

Ground B. orellana seeds are often mixed with other seeds or spices to form a paste or powder for culinary use especially in Latin American, Jamaican, Chamorro, and Filipino cuisines. The seeds are heated in oil or lard to extract its dye and flavor for use in dishes and processed foods such as cheese, butter, soup, gravy, sauces, cured meats, and other items. The seeds impart a subtle flavor and aroma and a yellow to reddish-orange color to food. The seeds are used to color and flavor rice instead of the much more expensive saffron.

In Brazil, a powder known as colorau or colorífico is made from the ground seeds combined with filler seeds like maize. This powder is similar to and sometimes replaces paprika.^[10]

The Yucatecan condiment called recado rojo or "achiote paste" is made from ground seeds combined with other spices. It is a mainstay of the Mexican and Belizean cuisines.

A condiment called sazón is commonly used in Spanish, Latin American, and Caribbean cuisine for meats and fish. Sazón is made from achiote (annatto) seeds, cumin, coriander seeds, salt, and garlic powder. The Spanish word sazón means "season" or "seasoning".

Traditional medicine

The tree has been used in folk medicine practices of India, where different parts of the plant are thought to be useful as therapy.^[11]

Other uses

Achiote has long been used by American Indians to make a bright red paint for the body and hair. Body-painting with urucu remains an important tradition of many Brazilian native tribes. It was reportedly used for body paint among the native Taínos in Borinquen, Puerto Rico. The use of achiote hair dye by men of the Tsáchila of Ecuador is the origin of their Spanish name, the Colorados. The Aztec people of Mexico used achiote seeds as source of a red ink for manuscript painting in the 16th century.^[12]

The plant is valued for its stem fibre (used in rope mats) and an adhesive gum which is extracted from all parts.^[13][14][15]

Gallery

References

• M.D. of Big Lakes
• M.D. of Greenview No. 16, Alberta
• M.D. of Lesser Slave River
• MD of Wood Buffalo
• MDOH
• MDOHET
• MDOHMA
• M Dolla
• M-Dolla
• M dolla
• M-dolla
• M. domestica
• M. domesticus
• M Dot
• MDOT (disambiguation)
• M. Douglas Morton
• MDP1P
• MDP2P
• M.D. Pa.
• M. D. Pallavi
• M D Pallavi Arun
• M. D. Parashar
• MDPBP
• MDPC
• MDP/CDE