Couleurs de Plantes Annatto

Couleurs de Plantes Annatto is a shrub or tree of tropical America regions. It is also called urucum (Brazil), Achiote (Bolivia and Nicaragua), annatto tree or red lip. It takes its name from the Tupi language that call urucu; in English and in Spanish it is called achiote (name derived from the Nahuatl). It is also grown in Southeast Asia, where it was introduced in the 17th century through Acapulco, its flowers are pink and it produces red fruit filled with red seeds thorns. Its fruit, annatto (or achiote, annatto, achiote) is not edible. It is harvested and dried to extract the wax around the seeds, rich in carotenoids. Natives from South America and Caribbean islands use it as their body paint pigment or as flavoring. Traditional medicine gives it many healing properties. Annatto also serves as a natural sunscreen and avoids insect bites. It is part of the ingredients of Tascalate.