What does «achiote» mean in Spanish?
- Bija. An arborescent species cultivated in Colombia, Mexico and the Andes of Peru since before the arrival of Columbus. It is also called achote, acotillo, bixina, bija, urucú or onoto. Scientific name Bixa orellana. Characteristics of achiote
- Reddish-yellowish spice from the seed of the homonymous shrub. The small seeds (3.5 to 5 mm) are very hard, so they are put in hot water to release the color, or they are ground several times. In Mayan times it was already used as a colorant and spice, for example to color the body in religious rites, and was associated with rain. It was even used as currency. In some Mexican regions it is used as a colorant and spice in meat and fish dishes.