The extract of cochineal tends to come up a lot. The cochineal bugs—a species of scale insect—are a centuries-old colorant. In the 19th century, chemists figured out how to make a synthetic ...

Oh, and it's made from squashed bugs. Squashed female cochineal bugs, to be specific. They're tick-sized critters native to Mesoamerica where they suck the juice from prickly pear cactuses.

But today, Peru dominates the market, and Mexico’s cochineal farms are disappearing. More from Big Business A triangle pointing right which indicates this type of media can be played.

“Cordón de Vida” (2024), ceramic, tencel, indigo, wool, and cochineal, 27 x 60 x 4 inches. Courtesy of Anderson Yezerski Gallery Many of the pieces shown here are from McLaughlin’s ongoing Indigo ...

Up until now, the iconic treats have been made using carmine - also known as cochineal - which is a food colouring made from cochineal beetles. The beetles are dried, crushed and boiled, and then used ...