[Publius6961]

bijol = achiote = annatto

Damn!
Can't you comedians see a circular definition when you see one?

OK... I'll bite:
What's "achiote"?
What's "annatto"?

[Luis Gonzalez]

"What's "achiote"?"
"What's "annatto"?"

Why..the are "bijol"!

LOL!

Seriously, Gatun has a description somewhere on the thread.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Achiote

Tropical shrub or small tree. The fruits are heart-shaped, brown or reddish brown at maturity, and are covered with short stiff hairs. When fully mature, the fruits split open exposing the numerous seeds. Although it does not produce an edible fruit, the achiote is widely grown for the orange-red pulp that covers the seeds. The achiote dye, which is prepared by stirring the seeds in water, is used to color butter, cheese, rice and other foods. In the Philippine Islands the seeds are ground and used as a condiment.

[capitan_refugio]

"Bijol" is a yellow colored substance that is mentioned in the article as a key ingredient of real Cuban arroz con pollo. I had not heard of it and asked what it was. Another FReeper identified bijol for me. I cross referenced and found that it got its coloring from annatto. Annatto is a yellow food coloring that comes from the seed pods of that plant. Most people would recognize annatto as the coloring agent in butter.

"Achiote" is the Mexican/Central American word for the traditional paste made from crushed annatto seeds. Some people, like me, may not have recognized the Cuban product, but would know its Central American counterpart.