The cochineal is a tiny insect deeply rooted in the history of Oaxaca, Mexico. Female cochineals spend most of their lives with their heads buried in juicy cactus pads, eating and growing. After cochineals die, their legacy lives on in the brilliant red hue produced by their hemolymph. Dyes made from cochineal have been used in textiles, paintings, and even in your food!
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The cochineal, a tiny insect deeply rooted in the history of Oaxaca, Mexico, is known for the vibrant crimson color it produces. This color comes from carminic acid in its hemolymph, a fluid equivalent to blood in other organisms.
As nymphs, cochineals search for a spot on cactus pads to feed and settle in. They quickly develop a protective white wax coating to shield themselves from the hot sun. Once a female cochineal finds a perfect spot, she attaches permanently, living there for the rest of her life.
Indigenous people in Mexico have been harvesting cochineals by brushing them off cacti and sun-drying them long before the Spanish arrived in the 1500s. By the 1700s, their pigment was as valuable as silver, establishing cochineals as a prized global commodity.
In Oaxaca, weavers continue to use cochineal dye. They grind dried cochineal on a metate, dissolve the powder in boiling water to dye wool, and then weave the dyed wool into stunning designs on a loom. Dyes made from cochineal have been used in textiles, paintings, and even in your food as a natural alternative to artificial dyes.
--- Which types of food contain cochineal?
Cochineal can be found in some brands of candies, ice cream, beverages, yogurt, fish and meat. Allergies to cochineal are possible but rare.
--- Where is cochineal found?
Today, Peru is the largest commercial producer of the cochineal, followed by Mexico. This insect is also found in other parts of South America, the Canary Islands, and the southwestern United States. Additionally, the cochineal was introduced to countries like Ethiopia and South Africa, where it became a pest.
--- Besides red, what other colors are made from cochineal?
Cochineals are a natural way of obtaining brilliant reds, pinks, oranges and purples.
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