April 20, 2024
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The cochineal is an insect slightly larger than a poppy seed. The bug’s carcass is the prime ingredient in creating a natural dye using carmine. Primarily a parasite, they are native to tropical and subtropical South America and up through North America and are collected from the pad of prickly pear cacti.
Learning the history of a special interest is not always easy, especially when you need to read old books and dusty newspapers, but when you learn from a Christmas present, it is a true pleasure. Here’s a story of a real special lady.