Can achiote paste be eaten raw? Added to a salsa raw?

[okayjackson]

Has anyone successfully used achiote paste in a recipe without cooking it?

[lowereastrittenhouse]

There's nothing in that needs to be cooked per se, but I wouldn't use it raw. It has far too chalky a taste that way and would really ruin a salsa.

[jjjrfoodie]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I agree.

I keep both achiote seeds around as well as the paste for making cochinita pibil and pollo pibil and would never think of serving the paste raw or without a good cooking.

CAN you do it...yes.

It's not something I see as a condiment nor a pesto type food. But I'm not the expert a'la Rick Bayless or the like. LOL.

The achiote seeds are a pretty hard and tough little bugger so they are gritty if uncooked, and somewhat toothy even when ground and cooked in a paste. Or a least to me.

[paulj]

Is this the paste you have in mind?
http://mexicanfood.about.com/od/super...

[okayjackson]

Exactly. Am wondering if the paste has to be cooked down to be edible.. And tasty. It is commonly used in marinades and sauces that are cooked. But I want to know if anyone has ever used it in a recipe such as a salsa in its uncooked form.

[JungMann]

If you want a similar flavor profile, you could make achiote oil with the same spices and whisk with your acid to make an emulsification that would be more appropriate to use in an uncooked salsa.