Nature's palette: 9 traditional ingredients used as natural food colouring in Asian dishes
From the deep red of Chinese char siu to the striking purple of Filipino ube halaya, Asian kitchens have long understood that eating the rainbow is as much about aesthetics as nourishment.
These natural food colouring ingredients don't merely tint; they transform, adding layers of flavour that artificial alternatives simply cannot match. The result: dishes that surprise, satisfy and sometimes shock the uninitiated—imagine the dramatic black ribbons of squid ink pasta or the pH-shifting magic of butterfly pea flower tea turning from blue to purple or pink with a splash of acid. Across Asia, these ingredients remind us that food is not only sustenance but also an art form, where colour, taste and culture converge on the plate.
Read more: Why a colourful diet is good for you
Red yeast rice
This fermented grain delivers the signature deep red hue that makes Chinese char siu irresistible. Rice transformed by specific moulds creates a natural food colouring that brings both colour and complexity—slightly bitter with metallic undertones. Not to be mistaken for red rice, which is naturally pigmented, red yeast rice achieves its intensity through fermentation and serves as an enhancing agent rather than a grain to be eaten on its own.
Beyond barbecued pork, red yeast rice appears in fermented bean curd dishes and rice wines, proving that this classic ingredient remains essential to colourful Asian cuisines across cultures.
Read more: Heirloom grains of Asia: how these ancient staples made their way to modern tables
Annatto seeds
This natural food colouring lends dishes a rich, golden hue. (Photo: Enzo Varsi / Pexels)
Annatto, small triangular seeds from the achiote tree, pack serious colour punch. Known as achuete in the Philippines, these seeds create the warm red-orange base for a wide range of Filipino dishes, ranging from kare-kare, a meat stew with a thick peanut-based sauce made more appetising with the added colour; to the umami-rich shrimp sauce for the noodle dish pancit palabok.
Used sparingly in most preparations, their flavour contribution is subtle. Only in large quantities do they reveal earthy, peppery notes touched with bitterness. This restraint makes annatto seeds perfect for cooks seeking natural food colouring that transforms appearance while preserving the dish's intended flavour profile.
Saffron
Saffron is prized not only for its flavour and aroma but also as a luxurious food colouring that turns meals golden yellow. (Photo: Mohammad Amiri / Unsplash)
Perhaps the world's most expensive spice by weight, saffron transforms simple ingredients into golden masterpieces. Each thread must be hand-picked from crocus flowers—75,000 blooms produce just one pound of this precious natural food colouring.
The honey-hay aroma with slightly bitter notes elevate Indian biryani, Kashmiri kehwa tea and (of course) saffron milk into provisions worthy of celebration. A small pinch colours entire pots, making every strand worth its weight in gold.
Read more: Why saffron-based beauty products belong in your skincare routine
Turmeric
This rhizome from the ginger family lends a warm golden-yellow base to countless Asian dishes. Its peppery, citrusy, mustard-like flavour makes turmeric indispensable in Indian curries, Thai yellow curry and Indonesian nasi kuning, the festive yellow rice dish that is also served in neighbouring Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore.
In Vietnam, it gives cha ca La Vong, a fragrant turmeric fish dish, its signature glow, while in the Philippines, bringhe—often described as a glutinous rice paella—relies on it for both colour and depth. Today, turmeric has also found new life in global wellness culture, most visibly in golden milk lattes.
Pandan
Long blade-like leaves create the most coveted green colouring in Asian cooking. Pandan's sweet, grassy flavour combines hints of rose, almond, vanilla and coconut into something truly singular.
Malaysia’s nasi lemak owes part of its fragrance to pandan, while Filipino buko pandan—a chilled dessert of coconut, sago pearls and jelly—prove its versatility across sweet and festive fare.
Read more: 7 traditional pandan dishes across Southeast Asia
Butterfly pea flower
This natural food colouring transforms drinks and desserts with its striking shades. (Photo: Shahzal / Unsplash)
These vivid blue petals bring both colour and drama to the table. They turn Malaysian nasi kerabu, a herb-filled rice dish, and kuih lapis, a layered rice cake beloved in many Southeast Asian countries, into visual spectacles.
Butterfly pea tea adds an interactive twist—add a squeeze of lemon and watch it shift from blue to purple, then pink. The colour-changing magic makes it a favourite at gatherings.
Purple yam
Known in the Philippines as ube, purple yam delivers hues from lavender to deep violet, along with a vanilla- and taro-like sweetness. Unlike purple sweet potatoes, which have lighter skins, ube is recognisable by its dark, bark-like exterior and longer growth cycle.
The most celebrated showcase is ube halaya, a jam that can be eaten on its own, folded into halo-halo, or transformed into modern cakes, ice cream and pastries.
Read more: A fan of ube? Then, you'll absolutely love Destilleria Barako's ube cream liqueur
Squid ink
Secreted by squid and other cephalopods, this deep black liquid is among the boldest natural colourings in Asian kitchens. With its subtle umami depth, squid ink enhances Filipino adobong pusit, braised squid in a tangy sauce, and Japanese kurozukuri, where squid is fermented in its own innards, creating drama on the plate.
Black sesame seeds
Tiny yet powerful, black sesame seeds with their intact hulls impart a rich charcoal hue along with nutty, toasted notes. They are central to Chinese black sesame soup and tang yuan, glutinous rice balls filled with sesame paste, as well as Japanese black sesame mochi and ice cream.
Unlike synthetic colourings, they bring both flavour and nutritional value—minerals, fibre and plant-based compounds—making them a timeless and versatile choice for cooks and confectioners alike.
Natural food colouring vs artificial dyes
In a world where artificial dyes dominate supermarket shelves, Asian cuisines show why natural food colouring remains unmatched. These ingredients bring not only vivid hues but also layers of flavour, nutrition and cultural meaning. Saffron, turmeric, pandan and ube transform dishes into sensory experiences that artificial dyes can only imitate. Where synthetic colours offer uniformity, natural ones tell stories of heritage, celebration and sustainability. Choosing natural food colouring isn’t simply about avoiding additives—it’s about embracing healthier, more authentic and culturally rooted ways of eating.
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