Carmine powder

In Oaxaca, cochinilla (cochineal) bugs grow on the paddles of nopales (cactus) all over the land. They look like white speckles and are picked by hand, dried under the sun, then crushed in a pestle, leaving a beautiful, vibrantly red powder called carmine behind. In villages like Teotitlán del Valle, they dilute this powder and use this naturally derived food coloring to dye their signature wool textiles, but it is also sold in mercados all around Oaxaca to use in nicuatole and sweet tamales. It has no discernible flavor, but it does make everything it touches a striking shade of pink. You can find carmine online in the U.S. to crush at home, but you can also use artificial red food coloring to achieve a similar effect.