Annatto seed is commonly referred to as “poor man’s saffron.” In fact,
it is often used as a substitute for saffron to achieve similar color,
fragrance and taste in traditional Caribbean and Latin foods, such as
the yellow rice in arroz con pollo and arroz con gandules. Annatto is
also paired with lemongrass, star anise and coconut milk in Asian stews
and curries. There is evidence that the ancient Aztecs made a hot
beverage that combined annatto seed with chocolate.
The use of annatto as a coloring agent for cheese is widely accepted
today, but the practice had less than honorable beginnings. It was first
initiated by 16th century cheese makers in Gloucestershire, who added
the spice to their milk to lend a golden hue to their cheese. This was
done because, at the time, it was believed that the best cheese was made
from milk produced by livestock grazing on carotene-rich grasses, and a
slightly orange color was considered a marker of superior product.
Although this standard doesn’t actually hold true today, the addition of
annatto to cheese back then was a device with which to fool customers
into buying an inferior product.
Annatto has a long history of use as a dye for textiles as well as body
paint. Mexican manuscript dating to the 16th century are decorated with
inscriptions and drawings made with annatto. In India today, annatto is
used to produce a powdered cosmetic called sindooram, which is worn by
women along the hairline or as a dot on the forehead to indicate their
married status.
