Annatto powder is used as an intense, orange-yellow dye throughout the world, from tribal war paint to the ‘red’ colour in Red Leicester. Sometimes known by its Mexican name achiote or in the Philippines as achuete, the Amazonian shrub is traditionally used in Caribbean and South American food. Spanish and Portuguese explorers introduced annatto seeds to Europe and India during the 1600s, where it has been used to flavour and colour food ever since. 

Annatto's mild and nutty flavour adds a subtle depth to soups and marinades. A sprinkle of annatto powder can be used as an alternative to annatto paste. To use dissolve 1 tsp of the powder in 1 tbsp water before adding to the dish being cooked. Annatto powder can also be dissolved into fish stock and used to make Cajun shrimp rice. Achiote is also used in Brazil’s traditional rib dish, vaca atolada (‘cow stuck in the mud’) and in fish moquecas.

The packet is equivalent to 1 cup or 155g of annatto seeds!

Ingredients: Extract of annatto seeds 73%, cornstarch (27%). Store in a cool, dry place.