Annatto: It's in My Food, But What is it?

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 15:13:00 PST

Since I am a major health nut, I always read labels before I buy food. I often see the ingredient Annatto listed on packages, so what is it?

It's a natural food coloring made from the ground up seed pods of - surprise, surprise - the annatto tree, which grows in Central and South America. It is also called the Achiote tree. After this tree flowers, it produces hairy pods that turn blackish-brown when ripe.

Annatto adds color to cheese, butter, margarine, rice, smoked fish, and microwave popcorn. It is often used as a substitute for the expensive herb saffron.

It also has antioxidants. I guess that doesn't really matter since you only ingest a small amount, but hey, it's better than nothing.

Well now I feel much better knowing Annatto really is an all natural food coloring. Much better than Red 40.

Carnitas, Al Pastor, Barbacoa: Here's the 411 on Mexican Meats

Susannah Chen — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 03:21:09 PDT

The beer-drinking backdrop of an Indian Summer weekend would pair perfectly with a festive Mexican feast of tacos and grilled meats. But with a menagerie of Spanish monikers from carnitas to carne asada, taco meat terminology can get a bit confusing. For the breakdown of Mexican meats, keep reading.