BT-046 · Bixaceae

Achiote

Bixa orellana

Evidence: TraditionalGenerally safe

Because of this dye, the Spanish called the Tsáchila “Colorados” (the red ones); the local city became Santo Domingo de los Colorados.

Other names: Annatto, urucum, lipstick tree
Part used: Seeds
Region: Amazon
Andes
Use: Ritual and shamanic, Food, Healing

Photo: Leonardo Ré-Jorge · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

In short

What is Achiote?

Achiote (Bixa orellana) is a plant of the Bixaceae family. Traditions that use it: Amazon, Andes. Part used: seeds.

What is Achiote used for?

Traditional use: The red coating of the seeds is used as face and body paint; it protects from sun and insects and marks identity in ceremonies. Scientific evidence: traditional. Its dye (bixin) is a common food colouring worldwide under code E160b, giving cheese and butter their orange colour.

Is Achiote safe?

Safety label: generally safe. Safe as food; can rarely cause allergy.

Traditional use

Amazon

The red coating of the seeds is used as face and body paint; it protects from sun and insects and marks identity in ceremonies. Tsáchila men in Ecuador dye their hair red with achiote.

Kitchen

Gives colour and a mild flavour to food in Peru and across Latin America.

In nature

Where it grows: Tropical America; gardens of Amazonian villages.
Harvest season: Capsules are picked once or twice a year when dry and red.
Local names: ruj ağacı; local names achiote, urucum, annatto

Mix-up risk

Also widely sold in processed form as a food colouring (E160b).

Preparation

Seeds are crushed or steeped in oil.

What science says

Its dye (bixin) is a common food colouring worldwide under code E160b, giving cheese and butter their orange colour. Human studies of medicinal uses are few.

Safety

Generally safe

Safe as food; can rarely cause allergy.

Culture bridge

Two sources of red. The red of Anatolian carpets comes from madder, the face paint of Amazonian peoples from achiote. This shared red is also this site’s main colour. Read the comparison →