The cochineal is a tiny insect deeply rooted in the history of Oaxaca, Mexico. Female cochineals spend most of their lives with their heads buried in juicy cactus pads, eating and growing. After cochineals die, their legacy lives on in the brilliant red hue produced by their hemolymph. Dyes made from cochineal have been used in textiles, paintings, and even in your food! null Please join our community on PATREON! https://www.patreon.com/deeplook DEEP LOOK is an ultra-HD (4K) short video series created by KQED in San Francisco and presented by PBS Digital Studios. See the unseen at the very edge of our visible world. Explore big scientific mysteries by going incredibly small. — The cochineal, a tiny insect deeply rooted in the history of Oaxaca, Mexico, is known for the vibrant crimson color it produces. This color comes from carminic acid in its hemolymph, a fluid equivalent to blood in other organisms. As nymphs, cochineals search for a spot on cactus pads to feed and settle in. They quickly develop a protective white wax coating to shield themselves from the hot sun. Once a female cochineal finds a perfect spot, she attaches permanently, living there for the rest of her life. Indigenous people in Mexico have been harvesting cochineals by brushing them off cacti and sun-drying them long before the Spanish arrived in the 1500s. By the 1700s, their pigment was as valuable as silver, establishing cochineals as a prized global commodity. In Oaxaca, weavers continue to use cochineal dye. They grind dried cochineal on a metate, dissolve the powder in boiling water to dye wool, and then weave the dyed wool into stunning designs on a loom. Dyes made from cochineal have been used in textiles, paintings, and even in your food as a natural alternative to artificial dyes. --- Which types of food contain cochineal? Cochineal can be found in some brands of candies, ice cream, beverages, yogurt, fish and meat. Allergies to cochineal are possible but rare. --- Where is cochineal found? Today, Peru is the largest commercial producer of the cochineal, followed by Mexico. This insect is also found in other parts of South America, the Canary Islands, and the southwestern United States. Additionally, the cochineal was introduced to countries like Ethiopia and South Africa, where it became a pest. --- Besides red, what other colors are made from cochineal? Cochineals are a natural way of obtaining brilliant reds, pinks, oranges and purples. ---+ Find additional resources and a transcript on KQED Science: https://www.kqed.org/science/1992430/meet-the-bug-you-didnt-know-you-were-eating ---+ More Great Deep Look episodes: Silkworms Spin Cocoons That Spell Their Own Doom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgavTIBQ_Z0 Watch Ladybugs Go From Goth to Glam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCFUk4f3zXw The Ladybug Love-In: A Valentine's Special https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-Z6xRexbIU Why Did the Mexican Jumping Bean Jump? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lkdidU79TY You'd Never Guess What an Acorn Woodpecker Eats https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvPaiDX_3JM ---+ Shoutout! 🏆Congratulations🏆 to @Chris06660 on our Deep Look Community Tab for correctly answering our GIF challenge! null ---+ Thank you to our Top Patreon Supporters ($10+ per month)! Kevin Sholar Burt Humburg Max Paladino Daisuke Goto Karen Reynolds Chris B Emrick Companion Cube David Deshpande Wade Tregaskis Laurel Przybylski Cristen Rasmussen Adam Cleaver Kevin William Walker hoxtom Mark Jobes Carrie Mukaida El Samuels Walter Tschinkel Dot Joan Klivans Cho Minsung Jessica Hiraoka Bethany Noreen Herrington Louis O'Neill Elizabeth Ann Ditz HMA Levi Cai J Schumacher Drspaceman0 R B Roberta K Wright BulletproofFrog Titania Juang Jennifer Altschuler Jellyman Mehdi SueEllen McCann KW STEPHANIE DOLE MrBeeMovie xkyoirre Smoulder the Dragon Jeremiah Sullivan The Mighty X wormy boi Marco Narajos ---+ Follow Deep Look and KQED Science on social: https://www.tiktok.com/@deeplookofficial https://www.patreon.com/deeplook Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kqedscience/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/kqedscience ---+ About KQED KQED, an NPR and PBS member station in San Francisco, serves Northern California and beyond with a public-supported alternative to commercial TV, radio and web media. Funding for Deep Look is provided in part by PBS Digital Studios and the members of KQED. #cochineal #carmine #oaxaca