
Cochineal Red - rwx------
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20180202-the-insect-that-painted-europe-red
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grzm
My love for cochineal is due to it's traditional use in Campari. Nothing
refreshes quite like a Negroni or an Americano in the summer.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campari](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campari)

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YeOakAye
Surprised that the article doesn't have a single photo of a cochineal...

I mean the title is 'The insect that painted Europe red'. You'd think they
could show it once.

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saagarjha
There is one in the middle of a woman harvesting them. I find it interesting
that such a red dye comes out of an insect that's a grayish-white.

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YeOakAye
Ah I didn't notice that the image could be expanded into much higher res.
Still, I'd expect an image of an individual insect for clarity.

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osrec
Ah, cochineal red! Often hidden away in the small print of ingredients, it's a
nightmare for vegetarians. Many a time I've enjoyed a strawberry milkshake
only to discover to my horror that its colourant was crushed bugs. As a
vegetarian, the enjoyment doesn't last long!

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adrianN
Do you realize how many bugs and small rodents are killed to produce the
vegetables you eat?

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osrec
Yes, and if it could be reduced, that would be great. The meat industry is
rather more barbaric though. I used to eat meat, but gave it up aged 11 after
seeing how the animals are treated.

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rdtsc
Wiki link for the pigment:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmine)

I've seen it on food labels, apparently it can be an allergen.

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crankylinuxuser
Ah yes, organic dyes.

My wife specializes in this area with her fiberwork. I've picked up a few
things.

You can also use: onion skins, avocado pits, ironwood, oak galls, copper,
iron, and plenty more. It's awesome looking at some of her historic dyework
books, realizing just how many reactions are going on per batch. And indigo -
real indigo leaves and fermentation is just an absolute beauty to watch. The
vat isn't deep blue - but turns that way when oxidized in air.

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IntronExon
Don’t use it of course, but arsenic (Scheele’s Green) makes a truly rich
green. Ground lapis is also something else, as is real Tyrian Purple.

[https://www.ancient.eu/Tyrian_Purple/](https://www.ancient.eu/Tyrian_Purple/)

Shells. Who figured that out?!

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jws
Process optimization aside, any sufficiently hungry person who would mash a
snail they scraped off a rock could discover it. When exposed to air the clear
liquid in the gland reacts with an enzyme also in the gland and turns purple.
I haven't seen anyone mention flavor, but it is possible the dye gland is an
icky part.

You can find YouTube videos of people dying cloth by just walking around,
mashing snails and dribbling their juices on skeins of fibers they have
wrapped around their arms.

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IntronExon
All good points, and I just saw some of those videos... very cool. Thanks for
the information!

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geuis
Really big missed opportunity to link to numerous examples of art that are
referenced in name only.

