THE HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE TO ARTIFICIAL FOOD COLORING

What would be the result if everything we see around us were all black and white? Life seems so boring when that's the case. In fact, humans are different from animals because we were created to appreciate and feel happy with our favorite colors. Scientists believe that the human eyes can recognize about a million color variations.

Color is a component that increases the attractiveness of an object.
Based on studies, colors can also affect our feelings. For example, when we see the red color we feel hungry and crave our favorite foods to eat. That's why fast food chains like Jollibee, McDonald's, Chowking, and others always have red color everywhere as we look around at the store premises. If we notice, even the foods are applied with coloring. Food manufacturers commonly use artificial food colorings to make their products look so worthy of craving.

However, is there any harm that artificial food colorings can bring? Or can we just include it in our daily diet with a health that remains unaffected? Based on recent studies, it is believed to be one of the contributors to the increasing number of health problems. Even so, since our hearts are designed to crave color, what other alternatives can we use so that we can still create foods that are worth craving?

In this article, fellow Hivers, let's talk about a plant that can be used as an alternative to artificial food coloring. This plant is called achuete. It has many names depending on the place where it exists. For example, it is also known as achiote, urucum, annatto, and lipstick plant in different areas. It is a type of herbal shrub. Achuete is traditionally used to treat various diseases because many believe that it has therapeutic properties.

We planted it in the back of our house because we also believe that it is a great help to our health. Aside from being safe to use as a natural food coloring, it is also having health benefits when used in any dish.
The color it gives to our recipe is from orange to red, depending on the amount of achuete we use. Aside from the attractive color, it can also give a floral aroma that enhances our appetite. This time, I will show you a simple dish that I cooked using achuete as a natural food coloring.

We will make a dish from one kilo of vantress chicken meat. I call this recipe as "ANNATO CHICKEN GUISADO."
This is my cooking procedure:

Clean and wash one kilo of vantress chicken meat.

Marinate the chicken meat with soy sauce, salt, sugar, and pure coconut vinegar.

Secure the spices like onion and garlic. Clean and slice into pieces.

Prepare in advance the additional ingredients such as oyster sauce, cheese, and black beans.
Secure a clean frying pan and put it on fire.
When the frying pan is hot, add enough cooking oil to fry the spices.

When the cooking oil is hot, pour the sliced garlic and onion.
When the color of the spices is golden brown, pour the marinated chicken meat. Then add 1 cup of water.

In this recipe I am just using 4 fruits of achuete. When the soup boils, add the achuete seeds.
Next pour the oyster sauce. Followed by the black beans and cheese.
Then I tasted the soup and added a little sugar, salt, and magic sarap based on our preferred taste.

If the chicken meat is already soft, it's a sign that our recipe is completely cooked.

The lingering aroma of our cooked ANNATO CHICKEN GUISADO is very appealing to our taste and it stimulates our desire to eat. Although the use of achuete as a natural food coloring is antiquated, the advantage brought is incomparable.

To grow a plant like this needs a lot of sacrifice. In comparison, artificial food coloring is readily available in many stores. However, the benefit of using natural food color is worthy of our consideration than getting artificial ones easily with bad results. Life is precious, so we need to make the best of it and stay away from harm as long as we can.

My dear Hivers, that's all I can share for this blog. Thank you for taking time to read this article.