An alternative spelling of annatto, a natural orange-red dye and food coloring made from seeds of the achiote tree.
Spanish 'achiote,' from Taíno (Caribbean indigenous language) 'iciote.' The term traveled from the Caribbean to Europe in the 16th century as trade in natural dyes increased.
Anotta has been used for thousands of years in Latin America for both cosmetics and food coloring, and today it's still one of the few natural colorings approved worldwide—it's what gives some cheddar cheese its orange hue!
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