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In Hawaii, they call achiote the lipstick tree, likely because indigenous people of the Americas used it to dye the lips and body red. The seeds are also used to make the spice called annatto, which is also sometimes used to describe the tree. The spice is mild, earthy and quite distinctive.
All photography by Therese Padua Howe
Seeds are ready to pick when pods open
I haven’t had luck growing achiote (Bixa orellana) from cuttings, but have been pretty successful growing from seed. The fresher the seeds, the higher your chances of germination.
Growing up, my grandmother would send me to her achiote tree in the yard to pick the spiky brown pods containing the seeds covered in a red waxy substance (called the aril). I’d pick the seeds out and drop them into a large bowl of water, then rub the seeds together until the water turned orange-red. The tinctured water was then used to cook Red Rice, a staple for any Guam party.
Achiote flowers
Baby achiote seed pods
Modern recipes call for annatto powder for convenience, but I find that the powder sometimes imparts a bitter taste to the dish. You can also purchase packages of annatto seeds in the Asian section of the supermarket. After years of dealing with red-stained hands, I finally started using my friend’s trick to get the deepest hue for the water: boiling the seeds.
Here’s my recipe for Red Rice, which pairs well with barbecued meats and fish.
Guam Red Rice pairs well with barbecued meats.
GUAM RED RICE
INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons of achiote seeds
5 cups dry Calrose rice
6 ⅔ cup of water
1 small onion, sliced
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbs + 1 tbs oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Saute half of the onions in 1 tbs of oil in a large pot until fragrant and translucent — don’t let them burn. Add achiote seeds and stir. Add water and bring to a simmering boil, then turn heat down and let it boil gently for 15 minutes.
While the water is boiling, wash the rice in a bowl — at least three times until the water runs clear. (On a gardening note, I use the rice water to water my plants.) I add my seasonings (salt and black pepper) to the washed rice at this time.
Once the achiote water has turned a deep orange red, turn off the heat and strain the water into another bowl, discarding the seeds and onions.
Add 1 tbs oil to the large pot and saute the other half of the onions, again until just translucent. Add the washed rice and the achiote water, bringing to a simmering oil then turning the heat down to boil gently for about 15-20 minutes until the rice is fully cooked.
NOTES
You can omit the onions in the achiote water, but I like the extra flavor boost it gives to the water.
Some recipe variations:
If you don’t like onions or are allergic to them, you can omit them.
Use chicken stock instead of water.
Add garlic powder and/or onion powder to the seasonings.
In the second saute step, add 3 slices of bacon cut in half when sauteeing the onions.
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