Does it seem like all you are hearing about these days from those cooks in the know is Annatto Oil? All though this oil has been around for a very long time it seems to be regaining new popularity. Perhaps, part of the reason for this new popularity is that with today’s economy more people are cooking at home. Instead of relying on the same old standby recipes that have been a part of their diet for years, home cooks are looking for and finding new recipes. This has lead them to trying different spices, flavors, cooking aids and oils which in turn has led them to the rediscovery of annatto oil also called Roucou.
What Is Annato Oil and Where Does it Come From
Annatto comes from the fruit of a South American Tree known as the Achiote tree. The fruit of this tree is dark brownish in color and not good for human consumption. However, when the fruit bursts open inside there are seeds surrounded by pulp that is known as achiote or annatto seeds. Both the pulp and seeds are used for many things in South America. This pulp and the seeds are used to color food, as a dye and in make-up particularly lipstick. The Achiote tree is sometimes referred to as the lipstick tree by natives to South America.
The Annatto seeds are also infused to make a type of oil used in cooking. By mixing 1 cup of olive oil with ½ cup of annatto or achiote seeds and cooking it over a medium heat for 5 minutes you can make your own oil. This oil will be a yellowish orange to red color when it is strained.
Both the seeds and the oil have a very light gingery and peppery taste.
What is it Used For
Commercially Annatto oil is used to add color to certain foods likes cheeses, butter, margarine and salad dressings to give these foods a more distinctive and attractive color. The amount of oil used will vary the color of the food considerably. Manufacturers of skin and body care products are also beginning to use annatto oil for these types of products.
Restaurants and home cooks use this oil in everything from rice to potatoes, to fish and poultry to pork. They even use it in homemade salad dressings and in making some deserts more yellowish orange in color. Achiote oil is believed to contain antioxidants which are healthy for you.
The light flavor and the great color that annatto oil adds to all types of food has earned it the nickname “poor man’s saffron” since it can give food the same distinctive coloring at a much lower price. There are several online sites that explain how to make this oil as well as different recipes for those wishing to create new and distinctive dishes for family and friends.