Grana Cochinilla Fina --- the Best Kept Secret in Oaxaca

Alvin Starkman  M.A., LL.B.onions, and the añil plant which produces our blues
and indigos.  Combining some of these dyes with the
Most tourists have no idea that only a couple ofcochineal results in yet a further spectrum of color. 
hundred yards off the main highway, a minute or twoYou’ll also discover how to use cochineal in
from the black pottery village, is one the mostcombination with lime juice or baking soda and with
fascinating destinations that the state of Oaxaca hasdifferent colored natural wools to produce orange and
to offer children and adults alike.  And yet thepurple hews. 
majority of travelers have a least heard or read a 
snippet about the natural red dye which comes from aOne cannot help but marvel at the diversity of
tiny insect and is used to color the rugs they buy incommercial products which utilize the cochineal as a
Teotitlán del Valle,  and other products includingcoloring such as lipsticks and makeup for those allergic
some of the foods and beverages we eator sensitive to synthetic red and orange tones, Danone
today…the grana cochinilla fina, commonly known asyoghurt,  Campari, and even  Campbell’s soup. 
simply cochineal.Often artists have opted to employ cochineal and
 other natural colors for their work, and accordingly
I suspect that from reading their guidebooks orwitness walls adorned with examples of fine art
speaking to tour guides and taxi drivers, visitors are notcreated without the use of chemical-based paints. 
generally made aware of the importance of this littleThe photos of Prince Charles’ attendance at
bug on the world stage over centuries; or perhapsTlapanochestli is a testament to the world’s
they think it’s enough to buy a tapete and be toldcontinued fascination with the historical and
it’s been dyed with cochineal, and see and touch acontemporary significance of the grana cochinilla fina.
few dried insects…rather than spend 40 or 50  In the gift shop there’s an opportunity to
minutes in amazement.  It might be different if theypurchase dried cochineal for your own use, ink in an
knew that during the conquest era, next to gold andattractive wax-sealed bottle, paints and pastes, balls of
silver cochineal was the most valuable commodityyarn, soaps, clothing, and for the children perhaps a
known to mankind, and that in 1758 Oaxaca exportedpaint set consisting of dried cochineal to crush using
over 1.5 million Spanish pounds of it to Europe, Africathe miniature clay pestle and mortar, along with coloring
and Asia for a multitude of uses including the dying ofpages with instruction sheet directing how to use the
fabrics including uniforms worn by British nobility andkit and produce your own shades of red, orange and
cavalry. pink. 
  
Together known as Tlapanochestli, the quaint researchA short video puts the production of cochineal into its
facility, museum, ranch and open-air teachingproper historical context using facts, anecdotes and
environment is located at Santa María Coyotepecmythology, along with colorful imagery, narrated using
off a dirt road only 15 minutes from downtownlanguage easily understood by children.  At the same
Oaxaca.  The attraction is designed to hold thetime those with a background or interest in the
interest of travelers of all ages and all backgrounds,sciences will have all of their questions answered. 
from layperson to academic or professional.The film outlines the pre-hispanic use of the pigment;
 the development of an internationally regulated industry
Upon entering Tlapanochestli you’ll be greeted byattracting the attention of worldwide heads of state
one of the employees who works the ranch, orfrom The Conquest forward; its importance in the
perhaps one of the two scientists who run theglobal marketplace as the strongest and most brilliant
research and teaching programs, Engineers Manualdye known to humankind; and its decline in the mid
Loera Fernández and Ignacio del Río Dueñas. 1800’s upon the invention of synthetic coloration
You’ll learn about the lifecycle of the cochineal, howand the subsequent adverse impact on the Mexican
it attaches itself to and feeds off of a certain varietyeconomy.  While Oaxacan production and export
of nopal cactus, and about its harvesting andnever did recover from 19th century recessionary
preparation for use as a dye.  Both kids andfactors, the video concludes on a upbeat note
grownups will delight and be awe-struck at havingdocumenting the industry’s resurgence in recent
either a live or dried bug squished on their palm yieldingdecades in the face of widespread health concerns
the scarlet pigment.    You’ll be taught why notregarding the continued reliance on synthetic
all types of nopal cactus are suitable for production ofsubstances to dye commercial products.
cochineal, which ones are used to make salads, and 
about varietals which produce the sweet red edibleAfter your cinematic journey back into history, and
fruit known as tuna, seasonally sold in marketplaceshaving gained knowledge about how natural dyes are
just as apples and oranges, and just as oftenproduced and used in a multitude of applications, your
encountered as a sorbet flavor or fresh fruit juice.  perception of not only Oaxaca but also the Western
 World will have been enhanced forever…whether
But your tour is not only about the insect and its host,you’re in Oaxaca shopping for rugs, watching the
but includes learning about a plethora of other naturalnative vendors in a market or ordering ice cream; or
products used to dye foods and fabrics, such pecansitting in the comfort of your home and sipping a
shells, oyster conch, pomegranate, marigold, moss,Campari and soda.