Texas Natural Supply

Alkanet Root (Alkanna tinctoria), Alkanet or dyers' bugloss, is a plant in the borage family Boraginaceae with a bright blue flower that is commonly used to provide a red dye.

Alkanet is also known as orchanet, Spanish bugloss or Languedoc bugloss.
Its name comes from the Spanish word alcana, from Arabic al-hena, after henna.

Alkanet is grown in the south of France and on the shores of the Levant. It has a dark red root of blackish appearance externally but blue-red inside, with a whitish core. The root produces a fine red coloring material which has been used as a cloth dye and to give color to tinctures, vegetables oils, wines, varnished, etc.
It was often used to improve the appearance of poor grades of port and similar wines, and to give the appearance of age to port wine corks.
It is commonly used today as a food ccoloring E103 (alkannin).

It was listed in the 1918 Dispensatory of the United States of America as a colouring agent.

Alkanet is traditionally used in Indian food under the name "Ratan Jot", and lends its red color to some versions of the dish Rogan Josh. Ratan Jot is one possible derivation of the famous curry's name.

Use Alkanet as a dye to give shades of burgundy and purple in an alkaline dye bath. Extracted initially with alcohol will enhance the color. To use in soap making as a natural colorant, allow to steep in heated oil for 1/2 hour or more, then use the colored oils in your soap blend as usual. It will produce a pale to dark purple with a slight bluish tint depending on the pH.

Alkanet is an excellent pH indicator. As your soap cures you can actually see the color turn from a slightly gray color to an almost pinkish purple. It can also be used in lip balms and makeup for shades and colorant.

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