| Achiote | |
|---|---|
| |
| Achiote seed pods | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Bixaceae |
| Genus: | Bixa |
| Species: | B. orellana
|
| Binomial name | |
| Bixa orellana | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Bixa orellana, also known as achiote, is a shrub or small tree native to Central America.[3][4] Bixa orellana is grown in many countries worldwide.[3]
The plant 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.[3][4] 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, caldo de olla, and nacatamal. 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, margarine, ice creams, meats, and condiments.[3] Some of the indigenous peoples of North, Central, and South America originally used the seeds to make red body paint and lipstick, as well as a spice.[4] For this reason, the Bixa orellana is sometimes called the lipstick tree.[3][4]
- ^ Wheeler, L.; Beech, E. (2019). "Bixa orellana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T61986316A61986320. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T61986316A61986320.en. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- ^ Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
- ^ a b c d e "Bixa orellana (annatto)". Center for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI). 27 September 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
- ^ a b c d Morton, Julia F. (1960). "Can Annatto (Bixa orellana, L.), an old source of food color, meet new needs for safe dye?". Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society. 73: 301–309. Archived from the original on 11 October 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.