Caribbean Compass Yachting Magazine - April 2021

LOOK OUT FOR…
Annatto,
More than Decorative
by Lynn Kaak
As you travel through the Caribbean, every month there’s
something special to look out for.
used for managing diabetes, infections and venereal disease. The bark can be used
for concoctions, poultices and drinks for a variety of ailments. As a tea or a
poultice, the leaves can treat everything from snakebite to worms in children. The
seeds and their pericarp have been used to treat fever, as a wound cleaner, and
for “women’s problems.”
Top left: The most
recognizable feature of the
tree is the fuzzy or spikylooking
seedpods.
Bottom left: Open fruit of
Bixa orellana, showing the
seeds from which achiote
is extracted.
STUDIO LAB 1
APRIL 2021 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 30
LYNN KAAK
LEONARDO RÉ-JORGE
Renowned for its usefulness as a
flavoring and coloring agent, as well as
its attractiveness as a garden ornamental,
Bixa orellana is a New World addition to
the flora of the tropical and sub-tropical
regions of the world. It is indigenous to
Central America and the northern
regions of South America. “Bixa” is a nod
to the Taino name for the plant; Orellana
was an explorer. The common names of
annatto, achiote, arnatto and roucou (in
Creole-speaking places) are derivatives
of names used by different areas’ native
peoples. The nickname Lipstick Tree
comes from a dye derived from the seed
pulp and used as a cosmetic. While
formerly used mainly as a dye for
cosmetics and some textiles, it is now
commercially valued as a food dye, often
found in such things as cheese and ice
cream, as it is nontoxic.
Long before the Europeans stumbled
upon this tree and propagated it around
the world, the various components of the tree were found to have a multitude of
uses. According to traditional uses, the roots may be made into a drink that is
Right: The flowers look like
little roses.
Made with annatto seeds, and flavored with herbs and spices such as cumin,
pepper, coriander, oregano, cloves and garlic, achiote paste is a popular coloring and
flavoring in Central American, Mexican, and Caribbean cuisines. It can be used as a
sauce, marinade, or rub for meat, chicken, and fish.
The trees grow from manageable shrubs of three metres (ten feet) up to a more
impressive ten metres (35 feet). The heart-shaped leaves get to a length of 20
centimetres (eight inches).
The five-centimetre-wide (two-inch) wide flowers grow in clumps at the ends of the
branches. Pink, white or a shade of red, they look like little roses. The flowers seem
to be one of the few parts of the tree that a practical use hasn’t been found for.
The most recognizable feature of the tree is the fuzzy or spiky-looking seedpods.
Usually a bright red, the pods are about four centimetres in diameter (a little under
two inches) and can hold 30 to 45 cone-shaped seeds. The seeds are surrounded by
a waxy blood-red covering, the source of the valued dye.
Annotto loves to be in full sunlight, and isn’t averse to getting a good soaking. It
does not do well in windy places. It can be found all around the Caribbean Basin,
and is grown ornamentally as far north as Florida. There are plantations of them for
the industrial uses of the dye in South American and Asia, but here they are
generally found in gardens and occasionally in the wild.
Achiote Paste
From www.bonappetit.com/recipe/achiote-paste
Makes half a Cup. Can be made one month ahead.
3 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
1/4 Cup annatto seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons dried Mexican or Italian oregano
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 garlic cloves
1/4 Cup distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
Blend cloves, bay leaf, annatto seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, oregano,
peppercorns, and salt in a blender on low speed, increasing to high, until finely ground.
Add garlic, vinegar, lime zest, and orange zest and continue blending until a coarse
paste forms. Transfer to a small airtight container and chill.
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