What is it?
It is a Cochineal bug. It has been used as a red pigment/dye since the time of the Aztecs. During the time of the Aztecs it was as valuable as gold. When the Spanish arrived they were in awe, they had never seen anything as brilliant in Europe. It took 70,000 insects to make one pound of red dye. When a new synthetic dye was created in the 1870’s Cochineal lost it’s value overnight.
Cochineal is making a come back. In the search for less toxic dyes, cochineal is now referred to as E120 and is used in lipstick, fabrics and foods.
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