annatto
1
7.6
A natural orange-red paste or powder made from seeds to color and lightly flavor food and cosmetics
- noun
- /əˈnɑːtoʊ/
:
achiote
- In traditional recipes, annatto serves as both a flavoring and a natural food dye.
- annatto paste
- annatto seeds
- annatto oil
Examples
-
Many types of cheese are colored with annatto to enhance their visual appeal.
-
Some were pale white; some were colored orange by annatto.
Academic text (1993) -
The chef used annatto to give the rice a vibrant orange color.
Synonyms
9.9
A tropical plant whose seeds give a red color and are used as a spice
is the seed product used as a red-orange food and cosmetic coloring
Surface Forms
Etymology
Annatto comes from Spanish anatto, which was borrowed from a Native American name for the plant's 'seeds' that people used as a dye. That's why annatto today usually means the natural 'red-orange' coloring and flavor made from those seeds.