Little Red Seeds

Annatto, also known as achiote is a very interesting spice. It's used in alot of different caribbean cuisine, mostly for it's color, but it does impart a subtle nutty taste to dishes as well.

If you've ever had yellow rice in a caribbean-latin restaurant, some form of achiote was used to color it (spanish-style yellow rice uses saffron). Actually, annatto / achiote is sometimes known as the poor man's saffron, lol.

According to Gary Allen's Herbalist in the Kitchen (http://www.hvinet.com/gallen/annatto.html), annatto seeds are described as:

" ...seeds used in Latin American cooking, primarily as a colorant for cooking oils. It was originally intended to be used this way as a substitute for Dende Oil (made from the seeds of the African Oil Palm, Elaesis guineensis) also known as Macaw Fat or simply Palm Oil. Dende is essential to the cooking of West Africa, Brazil and Malaysia -- but its saturated fat content is anathema to modern health-conscious dieters. Annatto-laced oil (known as Oleo do Urucum in Brazil), while it cannot duplicate the crisp-frying qualities of Palm Oil, does color, and subtly flavor, rice and -- as in the Ecuadorian soup, Locro -- potatoes."

I had kind of figured that Africans transplanted in Latin America used achiote oil as a substitute for red palm oil...but I never knew that annatto was basically the same as what Brazilians call urucum. I've passed over so interesting recipes calling for Oleo do Urucum, thinking I'd have wait until I made a trip to Little Brazil , when it was under my nose all along!

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Also, even though I plan to use dende/red palm oil, I think I will also experiment with achiote oil in it's place for some African and Brazilian recipes.

Well, without further ado, here's the recipe I use for achiote oil. It's very simple :) :

Achiote Oil (A.K.A. Annatto Oil, Oleo do Urucum)

1 cup olive oil, or canola

3 tablespoons achiote/annatto seeds

In a small heavy saucepan, combine the seeds and oil over medium heat. Stir constantly, until the oil becomes a rich, orange-red color. Just when you hear/see the oil beginning to sizzle…about 3-5 minutes, remove from the heat immediately and allow to cool. Strain the oil into a jar, discarding the seeds, and keep it covered in the refrigerator.

The only way to go wrong with this is to keep the oil on the heat too long or burn the seeds. But as long as you take it off the heat as it starts to sizzle, you'll be fine :)

The magic begins.......................................all done!

Once you have the oil, you can use it in place of any other oil for when you're sauteing spices/onions for a dish. You can also rub it on seafood and chicken before you grill it, it'll give them a really appetizing golden color.

Buying the seeds:

Annatto seeds are available in latin and caribbean markets, but you shouldalso be able to find them in the spanish section of your supermarket. They're usually sold in 2-4 ounce size jars.

You want to be sure that your seeds are relatively fresh, and you can tell this by their color.

Good annatto seeds are a deep rusty red color, while stale ones are kind of brown and a little shriveled looking.

Another way to tell good annatto seeds is by their smell. Good ones have a strong spicy, almost lemony aroma. However, when they're old, they have a faint musty smell...or none at all.

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Next is a seasoning that I use in place of store-bought achiote flavorings like Sazon or Bijol.

I will admit, I still use Goya Sazon from time to time, it tastes pretty good! But I also try to make an effort to eat a little more naturally, so this is an alternative that's free of MSG and red dye #5, lol.

Achiote Spice Mix

3 tablespoons annatto powder (if you can’t find the powder, you can grind the seeds in a coffee grinder. Last resort: paprika, but it will only have the color not the flavor)
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp allspice
2 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
¼ tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)

Yield: just about ½ cup, about 7-8 tbsp

Whisk the ingredients to combine, then add to spice grinder or small food processor and blend for a few seconds. Transfer to an airtight container.

*tip, whenever you use this, add a dash of lime juice or apple cider vinegar to the dish, it helps bring out the flavor.

I use about 1-2 tablespoons for a pound of meat. You can also omit the salt in this mix entirely if you'd like.

** To make this into quick rub or paste for meats, combine some of the seasoning with fresh lime juice / cider vinegar until it reaches your desired consistency.**

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Achiote Paste (the long version)

1/2 cup annatto seeds
1 tablespoon annatto powder
1 cup vegetable or olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon dried oregano
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Make the achiote / annatto oil with the seeds and oil, similar to the directions listed above...but don't drain the seeds this time.


Pour annatto oil into the bowl of a food processor or blender, and add the lime juice, annatto powder, oregano, garlic, salt and cumin. Process the mixture on high to form a smooth paste. Pour into a glass jar and keep covered in the refrigerator until ready to use. Use within 2 days.



Yield: ~ 1 cup



I'll have some recipes using achiote soon!