Annatto, also known as achiote, is a spice known more for its colour than its flavour. The seeds of the annatto tree are dried into hard reddish-brown pellets, which are used as a natural dye (including for lipstick, hence it is also called “the lipstick tree”) and food colouring. The shades range from golden yellow to deep red, depending on the concentration.
It is sometimes used as a much cheaper substitute for saffron, purely for its colour because the two spices taste nothing alike.
The flavour of the seed is subtle. If you chew on one, not only will you stain your tongue red, you will also taste a light peppery, minty flavour. Often, though, the seeds are mixed with other spices, so the subtle flavours are obliterated.
