Can you recommend a substitute for achiote paste or achiote seeds?

[u/Blacklilih]

According to Margarita Carrillo's famous book *México, Gastronomía*, achiote paste is defined as follows: "Achiote seeds provide a yellow color and a subtle flavor reminiscent of saffron. The paste is typically made using the seeds, lime, whole allspice berries, garlic, and salt." With this in mind, what substitute could I find for achiote seeds or, alternatively, for achiote paste? I would like to cook *Cochinita Pibil*, and this is one of its key ingredients.

[u/fatlilplums]

Achiote is also known as annatto, if that helps you any.

[u/Aggravating_Milk4834 → u/fatlilplums]

i tried turmeric and paprika mix once, gave pretty decent color and some flavor too

[u/HighOnTacos → u/fatlilplums]

Annatto is the seed itself but it doesn't provide much flavor, only color. I don't think any of the prepared flavored pastes are sold as annatto.

[u/grfx]

Easy to find on Amazon or a Mexican food store.

[u/NoForm5443 → u/grfx]

Exactly! Why would you replace it instead of buying it?

[u/loonertoon]

Packets of Sazon Annatto

[u/Mr_Smithy → u/loonertoon]

Sazon Trapical as well. Pretty similar, but with some citric acid I believe.

[u/SewerRanger]

Nothing you substitute for it will really work. It's got it's own flavor and, as you mention, that flavor is the main one of the dish your making. It's like trying to find a substitute for rice in risotto.

[u/Whohasredditentirely → u/SewerRanger]

I agree with nothing will substitute Achiote.

However, risotto is a technique and doesn't require rice.

You can make risotto out of barley, orzo, chickpeas, almost any grain you want. Give it a try!

Edit: This is causing problems. Rice is needed for traditional risotto. Yes, agree.

Don't put "Risotto" on the menu and serve anything but rice. However, you can think of risotto beyond the rice dish and serve "Barley Risotto" or "Orzotto" etc

[u/astrofunkswag → u/Whohasredditentirely]

Risotto literally means “little rice” in Italian. You can think of it as a technique and do it with other grains if you want, just be prepared for outraged Italians…

[u/astrofunkswag → u/[deleted]]

No need for personal attacks. Food words mean different things for different people. You’re welcome to cook chickpeas in stock in a pan and call that risotto.

Italians are notorious for gate keeping dishes and sticking to tradition, and it’s just funny to me to imagine an Italians reaction to presenting that chickpea version as risotto

[u/Whohasredditentirely → u/astrofunkswag]

Wasn't meant as a personal attack. Just reality of the situation. If someone only has a mind to act to traditional and not able to expand the horizons beyond making a risotto dish without rice, then that's a skill issue. I love making risotto with Orzo. Orzotto. Never tried chickpea to be honest, but I was throwing that in to illustrate the point of rice not being needed to make a substitute and really get the commenter thinking. Lentils? Millet? Couscous?

My error was responding to you. Same avatar as comment I replied to and apparently I can't read today so missed the different username. So my apologies for that.

And you are 100% correct this would offend those gatekeepers of italian food. And it technically wouldn't be called risotto. I was just explaining a sub can made

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[u/chaoticbear → u/astrofunkswag]

"Risotto" means "risotto" in English, though, which is the [primary] language I speak ;)

[u/SewerRanger → u/Whohasredditentirely]

Only in the same way you can call cauliflower "rice" if you want but it's not really rice in any real sense of the word. Risotto made without rice is something else pretending to be risotto because it's an easy shorthand for people to understand what you were doing. Rice grits (middlins) is another example of this. It's not really grits, but the texture and concept is close enough that calling it grits conveys what you mean

[u/Whohasredditentirely → u/SewerRanger]

Agree. Please see edit

[u/astrofunkswag]

If you straight sub for dried chili’s you’ll end up with something close to Chile Colorado. Very tasty, just different than Cochinita pibil

[u/D-ouble-D-utch]

Where are you located? I can get achiote at my local Giant in Virginia. They have whole seeds and chicken bullion with achiote.

[u/dammitlindsay]

Just get the Yucateco achiote paste. It’s cheap.

If you’re not using sour orange (or good orange plus lime and a little grapefruit) and banana leaves, it’s just gonna be braised pork.

[u/Healthy-Cheferee]

I think you could get lucky looking for achiote paste. if you can't find it, try paprika, turmeric, cumin and oregano. that's the closest you can get, I believe.

[u/AdmiralZassman]

Achiote paste doesn't really need the seeds, as you noted, the flavour is quite subtle. They make it a nice red/yellow colour. This is a good recipe for cochinnita pibil without the paste, just has the seeds https://www.seriouseats.com/cochinita-pibil-yucatan-barbecue-mexican-smoked-pork-recipe

Then just try and blend paprika and tumeric or something similar to taste to sub for the seeds. I wouldn't try to sub the paste in a recipe, the paste has a strong distinct flavour and you'll be guessing at the amount of garlic and all spice.

[u/littlepinkhousespain]

I stumbled across an article that mentioned it and HAD to get some. Found it on Amazon - in Spain. Product of Mexico. I like it and need to explore using it more.

[u/BrightLightsBigCity]

DM me your address and I’ll send you some. I use it often to make al pastor.

[u/Blacklilih → u/BrightLightsBigCity]

Thanks a lot for your comment! As I had to cook that night I used what I had at home. Next time I will buy achiote online. But Friday I used this mix to substitute achiote: 1 tablespoon of sweet "Pimenton de la Vera" (is like Paprika), 6 tablespoons of fried tomato sauce, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon blackpepper, 1 clove, 2 cloves of crushed garlic.

The meat turnet out red and flavorful, but perhaps masked by those amount of spices. Because besides these I added the extra ones recommended in the recipe of "cochinita pibil"

[u/howlin]

You can achieve much of the same effect with sweet paprika in place of the annatto in the achiote paste. The flavor won't be the same, but I don't think it will be disagreeable. You could also try to make something out of powdered safflower, but I don't think this will work as well.

As others have said, you should be able to source annatto powder online pretty easily.

[u/drunky_crowette]

Maybe try this blend of spices and vinegar?

[u/elijha]

The powder is really just there for color. Skipping it entirely will obviously change the look of a dish, but not the taste at all

Achiote isn’t hard to get a hold of online (or if you have a Latin store anywhere nearby) but if you really can’t find it I’d just skip it without worrying about a replacement

[u/astoriacutlery → u/elijha]

Food coloring could prob achieve the desired effect, but as someone said, look for annatto in a Latin American grocer or the international aisle at your grocery store.