Listing ID #3804483
Company Information
Ask for more detail from the seller
Contact SupplierAn Introduction
Asafoetida is an extremely pungent aromatic spice obtained from the rhizomes of spices ‘ferula’ or giant fennel. In fact, it is is a hard aromatic resinous gum collected from certain species of giant fennels, plants of the genus ferula. It is available in blocks or pieces as a gum and more frequently as a fine powder, sometimes crystalline or granulated. Asafoetida is commonly used as a flavoring or spice in Persian and Indian cooking or as a condiment to be sprinkled over food after it has been cooked.It is called devil’s dung because of its strong pungent smell due to the presence of sulfur compounds. The word asafoetida is believed to have gotten its name from the Persian word aza (mastic resin) and a Latin word foetida meaning stinking.Besides being used as a spice, asafoetida also possess many medicinal properties. For centuries, it has been widely used for simple digestive problems such as gas, bloating, indigestion and constipation. It was believed that asafoetida enhanced singers voices. Although very reasonably priced today, in ancient times it was a precious and expensive condiment.
Â
Spice Description
The smell of asafoetida is extremely unpleasant, like concentrated rotten garlic, but in cooked dishes, it delivers a smooth flavor, reminiscent of leeks. Its bitter taste and strong disagreeable pungent odour is due to the presence of sulphur compounds therein. It is available in three forms ie. ‘Tears’, ‘Mass’ and ‘Paste’. ‘Tears’, is the purest form of resin, rounded or flattened, 5 to 30 mm in diameter and a greyish or dull yellow in colour.
Asafoetida is a hard resinous gum, grayish-white when fresh, darkening with age to yellow, red and eventually brown. It is sold either as lumps or in powdered form. The former is the most common form of pure asafoetida.
Attributed Medicinal Properties
Today, asafoetida is widely used as a spice, it also contains innumerable medicinal properties. It was widely recommended as a herbal medicine for simple digestive problems such as gas, bloating, indigestion and constipation in the traditional medicinal systems of the Middle East and India. It is also helpful in respiratory problems such as bronchitis, asthma and whooping cough. Like garlic, asafoetida’s volatile oil contains components such as disulphides that leave the body via the respiratory system and aid in the coughing up of congested mucus. It also thins the blood and lowers blood pressure.
Other Uses of Asafoetida