Color Spices

Color spices are exactly what they are-- spices used to provide more color to a dish. This is not to say that color spices are basically food coloring in plant form, for they are not. Color spices have their own unique flavor, most of the time subtle, but adding fragrance to the overall dish. Here is an examples of color spice

Achiote: Achiote is a small shrub that produces an inedible fruit, though the fruit bears the highly prized seeds. The seeds (known as annato seeds) produce a natural pigmentation that also offers a subtle flavor and aroma to the dish it is applied to. It is most prominently used for the Mexican spice mixture: recado rojo (achiote paste).

Pink peppercorns: Pink peppercorns are actually more red than pink and is also known as Schinus. They are best used to instill a subtle aroma, as well as providing a little color to whatever dish it is applied to.