[mark46th]

Achiote is only a secret to most gabachos, Mexicans use it in a wide variety of dishes. It doesn't have a really distinct flavor, it has a very mild, flat flavor but it gives great color when it is used... I have seen it sold in small bricks, small bag as a dry powder and occasionaly as a paste... BTW- I found out about achiote from a BBQ Rib recipe in the newspaper from a chef in Santa Fe, N.M., named Mark Miller who owned the Coyote Cafe, IIRC...