Which South American spice is used to color Shropshire Blue, Cheddar and Red Leicester cheese?

Achiote (bixa orellana) is a shrub native to a region between northern South America and Mexico. Responsible for the seed annatto which provides the bright yellow and intense orange that is used in many commercial products. Annatto is used in central and south America as medicinal and as an ingredient in many dishes. The fruit has a heart shape and it is covered with spiky hair. When the fruit ripens, the pod opens to show its red seeds. This particular fruit has been used by ancient civilizations as face coloring and as a part of religious rituals.

The annatto seed can be ground into a powder, as a paste, and cooked in oil to make the achiote oil. In addition, the annatto color is commercially utilized in cheeses, butter, margarine, processed meats, beverages, packaged foods, and it is a staple in Caribbean gastronomy. Earthy, musky, and slightly peppery are the flavor characteristics of the annatto seed.

The color of annatto comes from various carotenoid pigments, mainly bixin and norbixin, found in the reddish waxy coating of the seeds. The condiment is typically prepared by grinding the seeds to a powder or paste.

Similar effects can be obtained by extracting some of the color and flavor principles from the seeds with hot water, oil, or lard, which are then added to the food.

Annatto seed, leaf, and root are used to make medicine, which aids in diabetes, diarrhea, constipation, fluid retention, heartburn, malaria, hepatitis, and high blood pressure.