Description

Bixa orellana, the source of annatto, is a fast-growing tropical shrub originating in the forests of Central and South America, particularly in the Amazon basin and the Caribbean littoral. Introduced to India, the Philippines, and West Africa during the Portuguese and Spanish colonial periods, it is now cultivated across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh in warm, humid lowland conditions. The seed’s vivid red-orange resinous coating yields bixin, a carotenoid pigment historically employed as a natural colouring agent in textiles, food preparations, and cosmetic formulations by indigenous communities across the Americas. In Indian traditional practice, it has been incorporated into certain external applications and dye traditions.