Achiote (Bixa Orellana) – Herb

Brew & Taste

Achiote gives a light yellow infusion with a pleasant, sweet, herbal aroma. Its flavor is mild, subtle, herbal and sweet.

Origins

Achiote, scientifically known as Bixa orellana from the Bixaceae family, is widespread in Peru, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. Local Native American tribes use its leaves and fruits not only to eat and drink, but also as a dye. The plant, which reaches 5-10m, can be found under the names anatto, achoitec, achiotl, achote, kham thai, unane, uruku, urucuru, and many others.

The Latin name of the plant comes from its discoverer, Carl Linnaeus. Orellana refers to the Spanish Amazon explorer Francisco de Orellana. The word Achiote comes from the native name for the āchiotl shrub.

Achiote has glossy, ovate leaves, usually blooms with pink flowers, and produces plenty of fruit similar to tiny red-orange hearts. They're often made into natural dye. Specifically, it is the skin that the Native Americans used to paint the body or dye cloth. The paste made by soaking the seeds in water is used in cooking as a substitute for the expensive and rare saffron.

One bush can bear up to 270kg of fruit. The dried seeds they contain can be used as a seasoning. In Mexico, this was rarely done because the color resembled blood, which made the whole plant was sacred.

The main exporters of Achiote today are the countries of South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Africa, as well as India and Sri Lanka, where the Spanish introduced the shrub in the 17th century. The annual world production is estimated at 10,000 tons.

The decoction of the leaves and the extract of the roots and seeds have medicinal properties.

Tea packaging preview

We pack our teas in a strong, zip-lock aluminum packet which allows you to easily re-seal its contents. This container protects the quality of the tea against humidity, light or foreign odors, all of which could noticeably affect the quality of the brew.