Meaning
The rusty-red seed of the annatto shrub, used to colour and lightly flavour food — its seeds are steeped in hot oil to make a golden-orange cooking oil that gives dishes like rundown and rice a warm colour. A traditional Caribbean natural food colouring. (The town Annotto Bay shares the name.)
Examples
-
Steep di annatto seed inna hot oil fi colour di food.
Steep the annatto seeds in hot oil to colour the food.
-
Di annatto gi di rice a nice golden colour.
The annatto gives the rice a nice golden colour.
-
Granny use annatto instead a food colouring.
Granny uses annatto instead of food colouring.
Origin
The annatto (achiote) plant; the word comes via Spanish from a Carib/Amerindian language. Long used as a natural colouring across the Caribbean.
How it’s used
A natural red-orange food colouring/seasoning oil; also spelled annotto (as in Annotto Bay). Compare 'browning'.