![]() ![]() Kenya exports annually about 1500 t annatto seed and extracts and after Peru is the largest exporter, particularly to Japan. ![]() Peru is the largest exporter of annatto seed, annually about 4000 t, Brazil the largest producer with about 5000 t. The main commercial producers of Bixa orellana are countries in South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, and also India and Sri Lanka. In Mexico and Paraguay seeds and sap have been used against mouth diseases. In Ethiopia the leaves are applied as a wound dressing and in Mauritius against headache. In Gabon a leaf decoction is taken to stop vomiting, in DR Congo as a gargle for sore throat and tonsillitis, in the Seychelles and Mauritius as a bath against muscular pain. In DR Congo a paste of fruits and seeds is applied against itch. The seeds are edible and nutritive but slightly purgative and said to be effective against fever, dysentery, kidney diseases and poisoning by cassava. The seeds and leaves are used in traditional medicine. Bixa orellana is often planted as an ornamental in homegardens and public parks, valued for its beautiful white and pink flowers and red fruits. The wood from the aged tree makes good firewood. Fibres extracted from the bark are used for cordage. The presscake of the seed and fruit is used as fodder. Sometimes annatto is used in mixtures with other vegetable dyes such as curcumin from turmeric ( Curcuma longa L.). In West Africa, the Baoulé people of Côte d’Ivoire use a paste of crushed seeds, lemon juice and water as paint for door posts, wooden masks and toys. Wood, bamboo, rattan and wickerwork can be dyed with it. However, the dye is somewhat resistant to soap, alkalis and acids. For colouring textiles, annatto has largely been replaced by synthetic dyes because it is not a fast dye. Annatto has been used for dyeing cotton, wool and particularly silk, giving an orange-red colour which becomes more yellow if the dye is mixed in the dye-bath with wood-ash or sodium carbonate and if the dyed fabric is passed through a weak solution of tartaric or citric acid. ![]() The dye, mixed with oil, is used to decorate the body, for instance in West Africa, Guyana and New Guinea, and when used in this way it is believed also to repel insects and to protect against sunburn. It is used in the cosmetic industry in the production of nail gloss, hair oil, lipstick, soap and in household products like floor wax, furniture polish, shoe polish, brass lacquer and wood stain. In Latin American cuisine, annatto is not only used to give an attractive red colour to meat, fish and rice dishes but also to impart distinctive flavour notes. It owes its success in the dairy sector to the comparative instability of equivalent certified synthetic materials as well as to its proven non-toxicity and vitamin A content. Due to its solubility in lipids, it is widely used in the food industry for giving red to orange-yellow colours to cheese, butter, oils, margarine, ice-cream, candy, bakery products and rice. The main product obtained from Bixa orellana is an organic dye present in the seed coat, commercially called ‘annatto’ in English, ‘rocou’ in French, ‘achiote’ in Spanish and ‘orlean’ in German. It has become naturalized very locally, e.g. In tropical Africa it is cultivated on a commercial scale in Kenya and on a small scale in all countries. Bixa orellana became popular worldwide and at present it is planted and naturalized almost pantropically. Anato, urucuzeiro, urucu, açafrão do Brasil (Po).īixa orellana is native to tropical America, where since antiquity the red dye extracted from its seeds has been endowed with symbolic power (representing eternal life, sun, fire and blood, majesty and power) and used to colour and flavour food.Family: Bixaceae Chromosome number: 2 n = 16 Vernacular names Fragrant and versatile, we love that lavender allows us live a sustainable life.Protologue: Sp. It was used in the bathing rituals of ancient Rome for its antiseptic and antibacterial properties. The name lavender (lavendula) comes from the Latin verb lavare, meaning ‘to wash’. Red represents our pioneering spirit!įrom June to July the fields are bathed in fragrant purple blossoms. The Italian name for poppy is papavero which means a type of plant, typically a large red flower. Late June to early July is the best time to see the poppy fields blossoming over the rolling hills of Le Marche. Sunflowers represent our adoration for nature, and something bigger than ourselves. The sunflower season marks the change from the lush green fields of spring to the hot summer. It is a fast growing crop that thrives in the sunshine, hence the Italian name girasole, which means “turn to the sun”. Early to mid-July is the most beautiful time for sunflowers in Le Marche. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |