Dactylopius Coccus L. Costa "Anyone wishing to gain insight into aspects of the commercial exploitation of products derived from cochineal for food and beverage uses, should be prepared to enter a field embracing not only the physical, chemical and biological sciences, but also a range of other disciplines including archeology, economics, geography, history, linguistics and even visual arts. No short paper could hope to do justice to this intricate and fascinating subject" (Lloyd, 1979). |
The cochineal is a parasite insect living on the cactus Dactilopius coccus L. Costa. At the time of the Spanish Conquest in 1512, the Spaniards found the Aztec using this extract of an insect called "Nochetzli" (cactus blood) to paint their bodies and to dye their clothes. For Spanish conquerors, the resemblance with kermes was obvious and they immediately recognised its commercial value. The first export to Spain was in 1523 and Cochineal became a very important item: after gold and silver, it was the most valuable article. Since the microscope had not been invented yet, Europeans thought these dried insects were actually red berries. Spanish people were not willing to correct this misunderstanding and the cochineal origins remained a trade secret, until a Dutch microscope manufacturer demonstrated in 1694 that cochineal was in fact the dried body of a female insect filled with red eggs. Catalog of Products Carmine Carminic Acid Products from Cochineal