About our ingredients and other fun facts.

The Ceiba tree, whose name in Maya is Yaaxche, “Green Tree” or “First Tree”, also Kapok is a tropical tree native to Central and South America, as well as west Africa. It usually grows in the wet tropical jungle, savannah, and near rivers.              Different species of ceiba exist in tropical America, and it is one of the highest trees in the Maya area. The ceiba was the most sacred tree for the ancient Maya, and according to Maya mythology, it was the symbol of the universe. Its roots, growing outside the ground surface, reached the...

Annato, the seed used to create our Caribbean Spice Belize Recado Paste is an orange-red condiment and food coloring derived from the seeds of the achiote tree. Annatto seeds are a main spice component of some local sauces and condiments, such as recado rojo in Yucatán and sazón in Puerto Rico. Annatto paste is an important ingredient of cochinita pibil, the spicy pork dish popular in Mexico. It is also a key ingredient in the drink tascalate from Chiapas, Mexico Annatto is of particular commercial value in the United States because the Food and Drug Administration considers colorants derived from...