Pantry guide
Best Recado rojo for home cooking
What Recado rojo is for, which kitchens use it, and where to find a jar worth cooking with.
Why cooks start here
The Yucatecan red recado: achiote, pepper, and the marinade for a pit or a pot.
In the International Cuisines books, Recado rojo is not decoration. Add it where the recipe puts it: early if it needs fat and time, late if it is perfume.
Taste Recado rojo before you empty the spoon. Fresh jars smell like themselves; tired ones smell like dust. Buy the smallest amount you will finish.