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Spice farm · The fun part

Annatto on your cheeks.

Halfway through the walk, someone always reaches for the annatto seeds.

Guests with annatto face paint on a spice farm tour near Jambiani

Annatto is a small reddish seed that grows in spiky pods. Crush it between your fingers and you get a deep orange-red that does not wash off easily. We use it for cooking. The kids use it for everything else.

Somewhere on every spice farm walk a kid will run up with a pod, mash it open, and start drawing stripes on guests' faces. Most guests, to their credit, sit still and let it happen.

You will look ridiculous in photos for the next two days. That is part of the deal.

Written by Haji · Kilimani Lodge, Jambiani
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