ISO: Annatto

[oldbay]

There's a restaurant I used to go to that made a delicious Mexican grilled chicken and then served it in a corn tortilla along with salsa, Spanish rice, and Cheddar cheese. I'm trying to recreate the recipe, and it seems to me it was made using garlic, onion, and annatto. I've been to a lot of stores that I thought would have annatto including Wegmans, but it's only offered in all of those stores as part of Goya Sajon, which also has MSG. Me and MSG are not friends, so I'm seeking straight Annatto.


Has anyone seen Annatto in a grocer like Safeway, Super Fresh, Food Lion, etc? It's a dried berry like the size of coriander. I'm not really looking to buy a lot of it and would love to find Annatto in a local store.

[Mama Mangia]

Achiote, Spanish for annatto - have you tried lookin in Latin markets- they should have annatto seeds and you can grind your own into powder.

I agree with you about MSG!

This is from my blog:

Think you're not eating MSG? Many foods at Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and McDonald's have it.
Wonder what the Colonel's secret ingredient was? MSG.
Oh, you don't eat fast food? Even classy restaurants throw in some.
Oh, you don't eat out? Sorry, your grocery is loaded with MSG to, and school cafeterias are just as loaded.
Well, at least your baby's safe. Guess again, almost all infant formulas are packed with it.

the government currently has no restrictions or warnings on MSG

Sources of MSG: The Seven Primary Sources
1. Aspartame: Has the aspartic acid form of MSG as well as toxic methanol/formaldehyde.
2. Casein: Processed milk protein high in MSG - such as calcium caseinate
3. Gelatin: Processed proteins give gelatin its structure, hence it has MSG.
4. Glutamate: Monosodium glutamate or any ingredient including the word glutamate.
5. Hydrolyzed: Any time you see this word, it's a processed protein - such as hydrolyzed corn, hydrolyzed wheat, hydrolyzed soy.
6. Protein: Most processed or hydrolyzed protein - such as textured protein.
7. Yeast: Problematic when it is yeast extract, autolyzed yeast, or yeast food, but NOT plain yeast.

Sources of MSG: The Twenty Secondary Sources
Note: These may, and generally do, contain some MSG. Especially in combination, they can give doses as high or higher than the primary sources above. Most are ingredient names, a few are processing methods.
1. Barley malt
2. Bouillon
3. Broth
4. Carrageenan
5. Citric acid
6. Disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate (These are not MSG, but make it more potent.)
7. Enzymes: containing, or called enzyme modified
8. Fermented: This process can generate MSG
9. Flavoring and flavor
10. Malt extract, malt flavoring
11. Maltodextrin
12. Natural beef flavoring, natural chicken flavoring, natural pork flavoring, et cetera
13. Pectin
14. Protease, Protease enzymes: These substances can produce MSG in processing
15. Protein fortified
16. Seasonings: listed as seasonings
17. Soy: Soy protein, soy protein concentrate, soy protein isolate, soy sauce, soy sauce extract
18. Stock
19. Ultra-pasteurized
20. Whey: whey protein, whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate

yes it is in your bouillon, Campbell's soups, Knorr dry soup mixes, etc. You need to read the labels and look for all these terms!

If you do find the annatto - can I share this with you too?

Annatto Oil
Combine 1/2 cup olive oil with 2 Tablespoons annatto seeds in a small skillet. Heat over medium- high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until the oil takes on a deep golden color. (Watch for spattering as the oil heats.) Remove from heat and allow to cool. Strain and use as desired.

Golden New Potatoes
Heat 1 Tablespoon of annatto oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add 6 to 8 sliced new potatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Saute for about 5 minutes, reduce heat and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper again and serve. Makes 2 servings.

A Golden Chicken
In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
Rinse a 4 lb. roasting chicken and pat dry. Sprinkle the spice mixture into the breast cavity and add 2 small bay leaves. Place the bird on a rack in a roasting pan. Brush skin well with annatto oil.
Roast the chicken in a preheated 375 degree oven for 45-50 minutes or until juices run clear when pricked.
Makes about 4 servings with tasty leftovers.

[oldbay]

I know where there is one Latin market near me so I'll try that out. There was a grocer here known as Giant Food that used to sell Orale spices in bags with a card board top and I'm certain that the Orale line would have had Annatto in it. But alas, they don't carry those spices anymore.

Wow MSG is in a lot of things. I really only have trouble with it in large amounts like at Chinese restaurants, and the older Zatarain's. Zatarain's now uses something called Disodium Guanylate, which is the product MSG is produced from, so it has MSG but less then pure MSG would have. I still steer clear of it though.

I think another name for MSG is Autolyzed Yeast Extract.

[oldbay]

Hi All!
I wanted to report that I did find annatto at a Mexican/Latinto grocer near me. They had several brands too. So I bought several different types of the annatto to try out. It's interesting that they had such variety yet I had trouble finding this in a non-Mexican store.

I noticed they also sold other interesting herbs such as eucalyptus leaves. I've never seen eucalyptus leaves listed in any recipe so where do you use that aromatic herb in foods? I'd like to try it out in a recipe but not without knowing what it would normally be used with.

[Mama Mangia]

eucalyptus leaves are used for medicinal reasons - binding wounds, also for making teas to reduce fevers - the oils as well - they are also used for deodorizing and cleaning

[oldbay]

Next time I go to the store I'll ask them if they cook with them. They were in the seasoning section so I thought they used them for cooking. You never know how things are organized in ethically oriented stores so it could be medical, but my initial thought was it was for seasoning and that made me curious about how to use it.