Spice
Annatto Seed
A tier
Annatto seed is the dry, brick-red trade form—hard seeds sold whole for home oil infusion and grinding. Colour lives in the outer waxy coat; the inner seed is harder and less useful alone. Fresh seed looks saturated red-orange; faded brown seed dyes weakly. Warm seeds gently in oil (do not burn) and strain for a clean colouring fat. Some cooks grind seed with spices for dry rubs, accepting a slight grittiness. Store cool and dark; light bleaches the carotenoids that make annatto worth buying.
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History
Dried annatto seed became the portable trade form across colonial routes.
European dairies used annatto seed extracts to colour cheese.
Supermarket spice racks added whole annatto seed for home Latin and Filipino cooking.
Natural-colour trends revived whole seed over synthetic orange dyes in craft kitchens.